IL-25 participates in keratinocyte-driven dermal matrix turnover and is reduced in Systemic Sclerosis epidermis
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ABSTRACT: Aberrant deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) resulting in dermal fibrosis is a hallmark of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Evidence suggests that dysfunctional SSc keratinocytes may contribute to fibrosis by altering dermal homeostasis. Whether interleukin-25 (IL-25), an IL-17 family member involved in epithelial/mesenchymal/immune cell interplay takes part in skin fibrosis is unknown. Here we address the role of IL-25 in SSc skin fibrosis. Compared to healthy donor (HD), in SSc and scleroderma-like disorders the epidermis expressed significantly lower levels of IL-25. In epidermal equivalents, IL-25 regulated several molecular pathways related to wound healing and ECM remodeling. Compared to control conditioned medium (CM), the CM from IL-25-primed keratinocytes enhanced the production by fibroblasts of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), IL-6, IL-8 (p< 0.05), but not of type-I collagen (Col-I ) nor fibronectin. However, IL- 25 significantly reduced the production of Col-I when applied directly to fibroblasts. The activation of keratinocytes by IL-25 was receptor-dependent and evident after a very short incubation time (10 min), largely mediated by IL-1, suggesting enhanced and specific release of preformed mediators. These results show that IL-25 participates to skin homeostasis and its decreased expression in SSc may contribute to skin fibrosis by favoring ECM deposition over degradation.
Project description:In systemic sclerosis (SSc) evidence suggests abnormal keratinocyte-fibroblast interactions. We investigated the potential epidermal dysfunction in SSc and its effects on dermis homeostasis. Epidermal equivalents (EE) were generated from six healthy donor (HD) and four SSc keratinocytes. Skin and EE expression of proliferation, differentiation, and activation markers was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The transcriptomic profile of SSc-EE and HD-EE was identified by RNAseq analysis. EE conditioned medium (CM) was used to stimulate fibroblasts, and their production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, type-I collagen (col-I), and fibronectin was assessed by ELISA. Compared to HD, SSc-EE exhibited aberrant differentiation, enhanced expression of activation markers, and lower mitotic rate of basal keratinocytes, reproducing most of the abnormalities observed in SSc epidermis. RNAseq analysis revealed that, compared to HD-EE, SSc-EE were characterized by the downregulation of HOX gene family members and by the upregulation of metabolic and oxidative stress molecular pathways. EE-CM enhanced the fibroblast production of IL-6, IL-8, MMP-1, Col-I, and fibronectin (p<0.05). Except for Col-I and fibronectin, this effect was 2-fold higher in the presence of CM generated form SSc-EE. IL-1 was, at least in part, responsible for keratinocyte-dependent fibroblast activation. SSc-EE recapitulate the in vivo characteristic of SSc epidermis demonstrating that SSc keratinocytes have an intrinsically altered differentiation program possibly due to the downregulation of genes from the HOX family. The increased metabolic and oxidative stress associated with SSc epidermis may participate to dermis chronic inflammation and fibrosis
Project description:Objectives. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) levels are increased in SSc skin and other organs but its role in fibrosis development is highly debated. Since epithelial cells are preferential targets of IL-17A, we aimed at investigating the role of IL-17A in the interactions between epidermis and dermis. Methods. Organotypic cultures of HD full human skin were challenged with IL-17A,TNF and TGF-β. Inflammatory mediators and type I collagen (col-I) levels were quantified. IL-17A- and TGF-β-induced changes in gene expression in full human skin were analysed by RNA sequencing. Results. In full human skin, TGF-β induced pro-fibrotic gene signature dominated by Wnt signalling. While IL-17A strongly promoted expression of many pro-inflammatory genes, it did not affect collagen gene levels but decreased Wnt signalling. At the protein level, IL-17A showed direct anti-fibrotic effects, as well as decreased by 2-fold TGF-β-triggered col-I production. Conclusions. We report here firstly, a novel model of fibrotic skin and secondly, that IL-17A acts as a potent anti-fibrotic factor in the full human skin. Furthermore, we show that IL-17A not only decreased ECM deposition by itself, but also counteracted TGF-β pro-fibrotic activities. Thus, IL-17A seems to play a dual role in SSc skin – strongly pro-inflammatory but anti-fibrotic, being an example that fibrosis and inflammation, although closely related, are two different processes. These data may help in directing and interpreting therapeutic approaches in SSc, since both, IL-17A and TGF-β, are target candidates in clinical trials.
Project description:Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a devastating disease affecting the skin and internal organs. Dermal fibrosis manifests early and Modified Rodnan Skin Scores (MRSS) correlate with disease progression. Transcriptomics of SSc skin biopsies suggest the role of the in vivo microenvironment in maintaining the pathological myofibroblasts. Therefore, defining the structural changes in dermal collagen in SSc patients could inform our understanding of fibrosis pathogenesis. Here, we report a method for quantitative whole-slide image analysis of dermal collagen from SSc patients, and our findings of more aligned dermal collagen bundles in diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) patients. Using the bleomycin-induced mouse model of SSc, we identified a distinct high dermal collagen bundle alignment gene signature, characterized by a concerted upregulation in cell migration, adhesion, and guidance pathways, and downregulation of spindle, replication, and cytokinesis pathways. Furthermore, increased bundle alignment induced a cell migration gene signature in fibroblasts in vitro, and these cells demonstrated increased directed migration on aligned ECM fibers that is dependent on expression of Arhgdib (Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 2). Our results indicate that increased cell migration is a cellular response to the increased collagen bundle alignment featured in fibrotic skin. Moreover, many of the cell migration genes identified in our study are shared with human SSc skin and may be new targets for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a devastating disease affecting the skin and internal organs. Dermal fibrosis manifests early and Modified Rodnan Skin Scores (MRSS) correlate with disease progression. Transcriptomics of SSc skin biopsies suggest the role of the in vivo microenvironment in maintaining the pathological myofibroblasts. Therefore, defining the structural changes in dermal collagen in SSc patients could inform our understanding of fibrosis pathogenesis. Here, we report a method for quantitative whole-slide image analysis of dermal collagen from SSc patients, and our findings of more aligned dermal collagen bundles in diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) patients. Using the bleomycin-induced mouse model of SSc, we identified a distinct high dermal collagen bundle alignment gene signature, characterized by a concerted upregulation in cell migration, adhesion, and guidance pathways, and downregulation of spindle, replication, and cytokinesis pathways. Furthermore, increased bundle alignment induced a cell migration gene signature in fibroblasts in vitro, and these cells demonstrated increased directed migration on aligned ECM fibers that is dependent on expression of Arhgdib (Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 2). Our results indicate that increased cell migration is a cellular response to the increased collagen bundle alignment featured in fibrotic skin. Moreover, many of the cell migration genes identified in our study are shared with human SSc skin and may be new targets for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:Objectives: Eph/Ephrin cell-cell signaling is emerging as a key player in tissue fibrogenesis. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the receptor tyrosine kinase EphB2 mediates dermal fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: We assessed normal and SSc human skin biopsies for EphB2 expression. The in vivo role of EphB2 in skin fibrosis was investigated by subjecting EphB2-knockout mice to both bleomycin-induced and tight skin (Tsk1/+) genetic mouse models. EphB2 kinase-dead and overactive point mutant mice were used to evaluate the role of EphB2 forward signaling in bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis. In vitro studies were performed on dermal fibroblasts from SSc patients and healthy controls, which was followed by in vivo analysis of fibroblast-specific EphB2 deficient mice. Results: Expression of EphB2 is upregulated in SSc skin tissue and explanted SSc dermal fibroblasts compared to healthy controls. EphB2 expression is elevated in two animal models of dermal fibrosis. In mice, EphB2 drives dermal fibrosis in both the bleomycin and the Tsk1/+ models of skin fibrosis. EphB2 forward signaling is a critical mediator of dermal fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) cytokines upregulate EphB2 in dermal fibroblasts via non-canonical TGFβ/SMAD signaling and silencing EphB2 in dermal fibroblasts is sufficient to dampen TGFβ-induced fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation. Moreover, mice with fibroblast-specific deletion of EphB2 showed impaired fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and reduced skin fibrosis upon bleomycin challenge. Conclusion: Our data implicate EphB2 overexpression and kinase-mediated forward signaling in the development of dermal fibrosis in SSc. EphB2 thus represents a potential new therapeutic target for SSc.
Project description:Background: The IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) is an essential co-receptor required for signaling through the IL-1, IL-33 and IL-36 receptors. Here, we investigate the antifibrotic potential of the combined inhibition of these cytokines by an anti-IL1RAP antibody to provide a scientific background for clinical development in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: The expression of IL1RAP-associated signaling molecules was determined by data mining of publicly available RNAseq data as well as by imaging mass cytometry (IMC). Efficacy of therapeutic dosing of anti-IL1RAP antibodies was determined in three complimentary mouse models: chronic sclerodermatous graft-versus-host-disease (cGvHD), bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis model and topoisomerase-I (topo)-induced fibrosis. Results: SSc skin showed upregulation of IL1RAP and IL1RAP-related signaling molecules on mRNA and protein level compared to normal skin. IL-1, IL-33, and IL-36 all regulate distinct genes sets related to different pathophysiological processes in SSc. The responses of human fibroblasts and endothelial cells to IL-1, IL-33, and IL-36 were completely blocked by treatment with an anti-IL1RAP-antibody in vitro. Moreover, anti-IL1RAP antibody treatment reduced dermal and pulmonary fibrosis in cGvHD-, bleomycin- and topoisomerase-induced fibrosis. Importantly, RNAseq analyses revealed effects of IL1RAP inhibition on multiple processes related to inflammation and fibrosis that are also deregulated in human SSc skin. Conclusion: This study provides first evidence for the therapeutic benefits of targeting of IL1RAP in SSc. Our findings have high translational potential as the anti-IL1RAP antibody CAN10 has recently entered a phase 1 clinical trial.
Project description:Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a polygenic, autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, vascular alterations, and autoantibodies. The tight skin (Tsk)2/+ mouse model of SSc demonstrates signs similar to SSc including tight skin and excessive deposition of dermal ECM proteins. By linkage analysis, we mapped the Tsk2 gene mutation to less than 3 megabases on chromosome 1. We performed both RNA sequencing of skin transcripts and genome capture DNA sequencing of the region spanning this interval in Tsk2/+ and wild-type littermates. A missense point mutation in the procollagen III amino terminal propeptide segment (PIIINP) of Col3a1 was found to be the best candidate for Tsk2, so both in vivo and in vitro genetic complementation tests were used to prove that this Col3a1 mutation is the Tsk2 gene. All previously documented mutations in the human Col3a1 gene are associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that leads to a defect in type III collagen synthesis. The Tsk2 point mutation is the first documented gain-of-function mutation associated with Col3a1, which leads instead to fibrosis. This discovery provides insight into the mechanism of skin fibrosis manifested by Tsk2/+ mice. For the transfection experiment, three Col3a1 knockout fibroblast transfected with WT Col3a1 samples and three Col3a1 knockout fibroblast transfected with Tsk2 Col3a1 samples were used. For the 4-week female, three WT mice and three Tsk2 total skin RNA were used.
Project description:We examined the effect of IL-17 signaling pathway on extracellular matrix (ECM) expression and the involvement of IL-17 signaling pathway in pathogenesis of SSc. To identify differences in the expression pattern of ECM genes in IL-17A- or IL-17F-treated cells, we performed PCR array analysis, consisting of 84 ECM-related genes. Normal human dermal fibroblasts were cultured until they were confluent, and then stimulated with IL-17A or IL-17F for 12 hours, and total RNA was extracted. A mixture of equal amounts of mRNAs from three normal fibroblasts was prepared in the presence or absence of IL-17A or -17F, and mRNA expression profile was evaluated using PCR Array. Normal fibroblasts were obtained by skin biopsies from 3 healthy donors. Fibroblasts from donors were used and treated separately as indicated in the summary. Equal amount total RNA from each donor was pooled prior to gene expression analysis.
Project description:In skin homeostasis, dermal fibroblasts are responsible for coordinating the migration and differentiation of overlying epithelial keratinocytes. As hairy skin heals faster than non-hairy skin, we hypothesised that follicular fibroblasts would accelerate skin re-epithelialisation after injury faster than interfollicular fibroblasts. We found that hair follicle dermal papilla fibroblast conditioned media (DPFi CM) could significantly accelerate wound closure compared to controls partly due to the presence of sAXL in this media. We used microarrays to identify upregulated and downregulated genes in human epidermal keratinocytes incubated with sAXL, DPFi CM and Epilife (keratinocyte growth media;control) after scratch wounds in vitro.
Project description:Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, heterogenous multisystem connective tissue disease characterized by vascular injury, autoimmunity, and organ fibrosis. Epigenetic modification is thought to be important in the onset and progression of SSc. SOX (SRY-related HMG box) 11 is a transcription factor playing several important roles in organ development in embryos. We have previously shown that dermal fibroblasts derived from SSc patients showed constitutive, high expression of SOX11 and a positive loop formed by SOX11 and periostin in fibroblasts upregulates the TGF- signals, leading to skin fibrosis. However, the mechanism of the aberrant high expression of SOX11 remain unknown in the pathogenesis of SSc. In this study, we found that SOX11 high expression is associated with presence of activating histone marks (H3K27Ac) in SSc dermal fibroblasts. In contrast, normal fibroblasts express low level of SOX11 associated with silencing histone marks H3K27me3. Moreover, using the miRNA microarray method, we identified some miRNAs downregulated in SSc dermal fibroblasts and target SOX11 and overexpression of these miRNAs significantly repressed the expression of SOX11 in SSc dermal fibroblasts. Our findings, taken together, show that epigenetic activation of SOX11 in systemic sclerosis fibroblasts upregulates the SOX11 expression, leading to skin fibrosis.