Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease. The dysregulated immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AS. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a key immunoregulatory role in autoimmune arthritis. The aim of this study was to clarify the underlying immunoregulatory mechanism of MDSCs in patients with AS.Methods
Flow cytometry was used to analyze the phenotype of MDSCs among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 46 patients with AS and 46 healthy control subjects. The correlation between MDSC frequency and the disease index of patients with AS was evaluated. A T cell proliferation experiment was used to evaluate the immunosuppressive function of MDSCs.Results
Polymorphonuclear (PMN) and monocytic (M)-MDSCs were significantly elevated in the PBMCs of patients with AS, when compared with levels in healthy controls. Additionally, M-MDSC levels correlated positively with the clinical index of AS, including the Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. M-MDSCs derived from patients with AS suppressed T cell responses, and this effect was dependent on the induction of arginase-I. Furthermore, AS-derived M-MDSCs showed high levels of phosphorylated STAT3. Stattic, a STAT3-specific inhibitor, and STAT3-targeted siRNA abrogated the immunosuppressive function of M-MDSCs. Inhibition of STAT3 signaling also resulted in decreased arginase-I activity.Conclusions
STAT3/arginase-I signaling plays an important role in both the expansion and activation of M-MDSCs in patients with AS. This information may be beneficial in developing novel therapeutic strategies for preventing AS.
SUBMITTER: Liu YF
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6091075 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Liu Yu-Feng YF Zhuang Kun-Hai KH Chen Bin B Li Pei-Wu PW Zhou Xuan X Jiang Hua H Zhong Li-Mei LM Liu Feng-Bin FB
Arthritis research & therapy 20180803 1
<h4>Background</h4>Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease. The dysregulated immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AS. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a key immunoregulatory role in autoimmune arthritis. The aim of this study was to clarify the underlying immunoregulatory mechanism of MDSCs in patients with AS.<h4>Methods</h4>Flow cytometry was used to analyze the phenotype of MDSCs among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM ...[more]