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Interleukin-22 promotes proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells in mice and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND & AIMS:Proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells (LPCs), which can differentiate into hepatocytes or biliary epithelial cells, is often observed in chronically inflamed regions of liver in patients. We investigated how inflammation might promote proliferation of LPCs. METHODS:We examined the role of interleukin (IL)-22, a survival factor for hepatocytes, on proliferation of LPCs in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and in mice. Proliferation of LPCs in mice was induced by feeding a diet that contained 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC). RESULTS:Hepatic expression of IL-22 was increased in patients with HBV and correlated with the grade of inflammation and proliferation of LPCs. Mice on the DDC diet that overexpressed an IL-22 transgene specifically in liver (IL-22TG), or that were infected with an IL-22-expressing adenovirus, had increased proliferation of LPCs. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, a component of the IL-22 signaling pathway, was activated in LPCs isolated from DDC-fed IL-22TG mice. Deletion of STAT3 from livers of IL-22TG mice reduced proliferation of LPCs. In addition, the receptors IL-22R1 and IL-10R2 were detected on epithelial cell adhesion molecule(+)CD45(-) LPCs isolated from DDC-fed wild-type mice. Culture of these cells with IL-22 activated STAT3 and led to cell proliferation, but IL-22 had no effect on proliferation of STAT3-deficient EpCAM(+)CD45(-) LPCs. IL-22 also activated STAT3 and promoted proliferation of cultured BMOL cells (a mouse LPC line). CONCLUSIONS:In livers of mice and patients with chronic HBV infection, inflammatory cells produce IL-22, which promotes proliferation of LPCs via STAT3. These findings link inflammation with proliferation of LPCs in patients with HBV infection.

SUBMITTER: Feng D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3384505 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Interleukin-22 promotes proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells in mice and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Feng Dechun D Kong Xiaoni X Weng Honglei H Park Ogyi O Wang Hua H Dooley Steven S Gershwin M Eric ME Gao Bin B

Gastroenterology 20120403 1

<h4>Background & aims</h4>Proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells (LPCs), which can differentiate into hepatocytes or biliary epithelial cells, is often observed in chronically inflamed regions of liver in patients. We investigated how inflammation might promote proliferation of LPCs.<h4>Methods</h4>We examined the role of interleukin (IL)-22, a survival factor for hepatocytes, on proliferation of LPCs in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and in mice. Proliferation of ...[more]

PMID: 22484119

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Project description:Background & aimsAcute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical syndrome defined by liver failure on pre-existing chronic liver disease. It is often associated with bacterial infection and high short-term mortality. Experimental models that fully reproduce ACLF are lacking, so too are effective pharmacological therapies for this condition.MethodsTo mimic ACLF conditions, we developed a severe liver injury model by combining chronic injury (chronic carbon tetrachloride [CCl4] injection), acute hepatic insult (injection of a double dose of CCl4), and bacterial infection (intraperitoneal injection of bacteria). Serum and liver samples from patients with ACLF or acute drug-induced liver injury (DILI) were used. Liver injury and regeneration were assessed to ascertain the potential benefits of interleukin-22 (IL-22Fc) administration.ResultsThis severe liver injury model recapitulated some of the key features of clinical ACLF, including acute-on-chronic liver injury, bacterial infection, multi-organ injury, and high mortality. Liver regeneration in this model was severely impaired because of a shift from the activation of the pro-regenerative IL-6/STAT3 pathway to the anti-regenerative IFN-γ/STAT1 pathway. The impaired IL-6/STAT3 activation was due to the inability of Kupffer cells to produce IL-6; whereas the enhanced STAT1 activation was due to a strong innate immune response and subsequent production of IFN-γ. Compared to patients with DILI, patients with ACLF had higher levels of IFN-γ but lower liver regeneration. IL-22Fc treatment improved survival in ACLF mice by reversing the STAT1/STAT3 pathway imbalance and enhancing expression of many antibacterial genes in a manner involving the anti-apoptotic protein BCL2.ConclusionsAcute-on-chronic liver injury or bacterial infection is associated with impaired liver regeneration due to a shift from a pro-regenerative to an anti-regenerative pathway. IL-22Fc therapy reverses this shift and attenuates bacterial infection, thus IL-22Fc may have therapeutic potential for ACLF treatment.Lay summaryA mouse model combining chronic liver injury, acute hepatic insult, and bacterial infection recapitulates some of the key features of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in patients. Both fibrosis and bacterial infection contribute to the impaired regenerative capacity of the liver in patients with ACLF. Herein, we show that IL-22Fc therapy improves ACLF by reprogramming impaired regenerative pathways and attenuating bacterial infection. Thus, it may have therapeutic potential for patients with ACLF.

Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to longitudinally evaluate and analyze the role of interleukin-22-producing CD4 positive cells (IL-22) in the pathogenesis of Hepatitis C Virus recurrence after Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (HCV-OLT).Methods15 HCV-OLT, 15 age- and gender- matched non-HCV post-OLT (OLT) and 15 hepatitis C virus infected (HCV) patients were enrolled into our study from the liver transplantation and research center at Beijing 302 Hospital. We determined the frequencies of IL-22 using flow cytometry and expression of IL-22 mRNA using PCR in peripheral blood and liver tissue. We also divided HCV-OLT patients into rapid fibrosis progression (RFP) and slow fibrosis progression (SFP), examined IL-22 cells and analyzed the correlations between IL-22 frequencies and liver injury, fibrosis and clinical parameters. Moreover, we investigated the role of IL-22 in Human Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSCs).ResultsThe levels of serum IL-22, frequencies of IL-22 producing cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and expression of IL-22 mRNA and protein in the liver in the HCV-OLT group were significantly higher than that in the HCV and OLT groups. Furthermore, eight (53.3%) patients developed RFP after two years; another three patients were diagnosed liver cirrhosis. The frequencies of IL-22 were much higher in RFP compared with SFP, while no significant difference existed between OLT and SFP. Intrahepatic IL-22 positive cells were located in fibrotic areas and significantly correlated with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibrosis staging scores, not with grading scores and HCRVNA. In vitro, IL-22 administration prevented HSCs apoptosis, promoted HSCs proliferation and activation, up-regulated the expression of HSC-sourced growth factors including α-SMA, TGF-β and TIMP-1, and increased the production of liver fibrosis markers including laminin, hyaluronic acid and collagen type IV.ConclusionPeripheral and intrahepatic IL-22 is up-regulated and plays a pathological role in exacerbating liver fibrosis by activating HSCs in HCV-OLT patients, which may predict RFP and serve as an attractive target for anti-fibrotic therapy.

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Interleukin-22 promotes proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells in mice and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Publications

Interleukin-22 promotes proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells in mice and patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

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