Interleukin-37 is increased in ankylosing spondylitis patients and associated with disease activity

Journal of Translational Medicine

Zhong Huang³  Jing Du¹  Jinxia Sun³  Li Li³  Xiaokai Liu³  Xinmin Fan²  Jinshun Zhang³  Jiawei Zhang³  Yanqun Li³  Liang Ye³  Kunzhao Huang³  Bingni Chen³ 

[1] Department of Laboratory Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, Guangdong, China;Department of pathology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen 518060, China;Shenzhen City Shenzhen University Immunodiagnostic Technology Platforms, Shenzhen 518060, China

关键词: Interleukin-23;    Interleukin-6;    Interleukin-17;    Tumor necrosis factor-α;    Peripheral blood mononuclear cells;    Ankylosing spondylitis;    Interleukin-37;   

Others  :  1137693
DOI  :  10.1186/s12967-015-0394-3

 received in 2014-10-25, accepted in 2015-01-13,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

Interleukin-37 (IL-37) has been known to play an immunosuppressive role in various inflammatory disorders, but whether it participates in the regulation of pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has not been investigated. Here, we examined the serum levels of IL-37 and its clinical association in AS, and explored the anti-inflammatory effects of IL-37 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AS patients.

Methods

The mRNA levels of IL-37, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and IL-23 in PBMCs and their serum concentrations from 46 AS patients were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), respectively. The correlations between serum IL-37 levels with disease activity, laboratory values and pro-inflammatory cytokines in AS were analyzed by Spearman correlation test. PBMCs from 46 AS patients were stimulated with recombinant IL-37 protein, expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17 and IL-23 were determined by RT-PCR and ELISA.

Results

Compared to healthy controls (HC), AS patients and active AS patients showed higher levels of IL-37 in PBMCs and serum respectively. Strikingly, serum IL-37 levels were higher in AS patients with osteoporosis than those without. Serum levels of IL-37 were correlated with laboratory values as well as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-17, but not IL-23 in patients with AS. The productions of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, IL-23 in PBMCs from AS patients were obviously attenuated after recombinant IL-37 stimulation, but not in the HC.

Conclusion

The higher levels of IL-37 were found in AS patients, which were correlated with disease activity and AS related pro-inflammatory cytokines. More importantly, IL-37 inhibits the expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines from PBMCs in AS patients, indicating the potential anti-inflammatory role of IL-37 in AS.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Chen et al.; licensee BioMed Central.

【 图 表 】

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