Project description:Global kinase activity induced by cytokines IL-32g and IL-17A/F were determined using peptide arrays representing phophorylation targets The objective of this study was to identify common and unique phosphorylation targets of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-32 and IL-17. These cytokines are associated with the pathogenesis and severity of chronic inflammatory disorders, therefore signaling intermediates of these cytokines could be beneficial as alternate theraputic targets that may likely influence different inflammatory pathways. Phosphorylation of proteins is a critical mechanism in the regulation of cellular processes. This process is meticulously regulated by enzymes known as kinases, which are increasingly being identified as drug targets for a variety of diseases. In this study we interrogated kinase activities (kinome) induced in the presence of the human recombinant cytokines IL-32g and IL-17A/F employing peptide arrays representing 300 peptides, printed in triplicate, representing select phosphorylation events. Human macrophage-like THP-1 cells were used for this comparative kinome analysis. Macrophage-like THP-1 cells were stimulated with either IL-32g (20 ng/ml) or IL-17A/F (20 ng/ml) for 15 min, and the peptide arrays were used to comprehensively analyze protein phosphorylation profiles in the presence of these cytokines. Two independet biological experiments were performed and the kinoem analysis was done in triplicates for each. The phosphorylations of the peptides on the array were quantified in the cytokine-treated cells relative to the un-stimulated control cells. Differentially phosphorylated targets were defined as greater than 1.5 fold increase or decrease (p < 0.06) in phosphorylation compared to un-stimulated control cells.
Project description:To understand the role of epidermal keratinocytes in immunopathology of skin diseases with predominant T helper (Th) cell responses, we measured the genome-wide transcriptional profile of human keratinocytes in response to IFNgamma, IL-4, IL-17A or IL-22, major cytokines produced by Th1, Th2, Th17 or Th22 cells, respectively. IL-6 was also included in the transcriptional profile analysis because a variety of pro-inflammatory stimuli stimulate human keratinocytes to produce IL-6 that has an autocrine or paracrine role in epidermal immunity. We aimed to discover commonly expressed genes in human keratinocytes in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines, which would be associated with common pathophysiological responses in various skin diseases such as skin permeability barrier disruption or epidermal hyperplasia. Normal human keratinocytes (NHKs) were stimulated with IFNγ, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A and IL-22 for 24 hours and harvested for total RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Lesion progression is primarily mediated by cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. Interleukin-17A is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, which modulates immune cell trafficking and is involved inflammation in (auto)immune and infectious diseases. But the role of IL-17A still remains controversial. In the current study we investigated effects of IL-17A on advanced murine and human atherosclerosis, the common disease phenotype in clinical care. 26-weeks old apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe-/-) mice were fed a standard chow diet and treated either with IL-17A mAb (n=15) or irrelevant immunoglobulin (n=10) for 16 weeks. Furthermore, essential mechanisms of IL-17A in atherogenesis were studied in vitro. Inhibition of IL-17A markedly prevented atherosclerotic lesion progression (P=0.001) by reducing inflammatory burden and cellular infiltration (P=0.01) and improved lesion stability (P=0.01). In vitro experiments showed that IL-17A plays a role in chemoattractance, monocyte adhesion, sensitization of antigen-presenting cells toward pathogen-derived TLR4 ligands. Also, IL-17A induced a unique transcriptome pattern in monocyte-derived macrophages distinct from known macrophage types. Stimulation of human carotid plaque tissue ex vivo with IL-17A induced a pro-inflammatory milieu and up-regulation of molecules expressed by the IL-17A-induced macrophage subtype. We here show for the first time that functional blockade of IL-17A prevents atherosclerotic lesion progression and induces plaque stabilization in advanced lesions in Apoe-/- mice. The underlying mechanisms involve reduced inflammation and distinct effects of IL-17A on monocyte / macrophage lineage. In addition, translational experiments underline the relevance for the human system. Effects of IL-17A on human monocyte-derived macrophages were assessed (n=2 per group).
Project description:Global kinase activity induced by cytokines IL-32g and IL-17A/F were determined using peptide arrays representing phophorylation targets The objective of this study was to identify common and unique phosphorylation targets of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-32 and IL-17. These cytokines are associated with the pathogenesis and severity of chronic inflammatory disorders, therefore signaling intermediates of these cytokines could be beneficial as alternate theraputic targets that may likely influence different inflammatory pathways.
Project description:In psoriasis lesions, a diverse mixture of cytokines is upregulated which influence each other generating a complex inflammatory situation. Although this is the case, the inhibition of Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) alone showed unprecedented clinical results in patients, indicating that IL-17A is a critical inducer of psoriasis pathogenesis. To elucidate IL-17A-driven keratinocyte-intrinsic signaling pathways, we treated monolayers of normal human epidermal keratinocytes in vitro with a mixture of 6 cytokines (IL-17A, TNF-a, IL-17C, IL-22, IL-36g and IFN-g) involved in psoriasis, to mimic the inflammatory milieu in psoriasis lesions. Microarray and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that this cytokine mixture induced similar gene expression changes with the previous transcriptome studies using psoriasis lesions. Importantly, we identified a set of IL-17A-regulated genes in keratinocytes, which recapitulate typical psoriasis genes exemplified by DEFB4A, S100A7, IL19 and CSF3, based on differences in the expression profiles of cells stimulated with 6 cytokines versus cells stimulated with only 5 cytokines lacking IL-17A. Furthermore a specific IL-17A-induced gene, NFKBIZ, which encodes IkappaB-zeta, a transcriptional regulator for NF-kappaB, was demonstrated to have a significant role for IL-17A-induced gene expression. Thus, we present novel in vitro data from normal human keratinocytes that would help elucidating the IL-17A-driven keratinocyte activation in psoriasis. Cytokine mixture-induced gene expression in primary normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) was measured at 24 hours after exposure. NHEKs were exposed to the combination of selected six cytokines (IL-17A: 100 ng/ml, TNF-a: 10 ng/ml, IFN-g: 10 ng/ml, IL-17C: 100 ng/ml, IL-22: 100 ng/ml, IL-36g: 500 ng/ml) , or to the different combinations of five of the six cytokines (in total, 7 different treatments and one untreated control). No replicate experiments were conducted.
Project description:Purpose: Using RNA-sequencing, determine the effect of corticosteroids on human airway smooth muscle cells (ASM) exposed to Th1 and/or Th17 cytokines. Effects of cytokines and/or corticosteroids on gene expression was assessed. Methods: Pediatric human ASM (ages 0-21; n=4/treatment group) were serum starved for 48 h and then treated with 10 ng/mL TNFα, IFNγ, IL-17A, TNFα/IFNγ, or IFNγ/IL-17A in the presence of vehicle (0.01% DMSO) or 10 nM fluticasone propionate (FP). Cells were harvested after 18 h for RNA isolation, QC, library prep, and RNA sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq4000 platform. RNA quality and integrity was determined by gel electrophoresis and Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer. Following sequencing. FASTQ files were processed and analyzed to generate counts files and perform differential expression analysis. Results: Our analyses show that cytokines, particularly TNFα, IFNγ, and TNFα/IFNγ had significant effects on gene expression. Differentially expressed genes were largely related to pro-inflammatory responses. Interestingly, we found that IL-17A had only modest effects on gene expression. Corticosteroids (FP) reduced or inhibited the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, these anti-inflammatory effects were reduced in cells treated with TNFα/IFNγ or IL-17A/IFNγ. Conclusions: These studies highlight the differential effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines and corticosteroids on gene expression in human ASM.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Homo sapiens inflammatory skin diseases (whole skin biospies): Psoriasis (Pso), vs Atopic Dermatitis (AD) vs Lichen planus (Li), vs Contact Eczema (KE), vs Healthy control (KO) In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation. In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/TNFα-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, due to its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation.
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:In psoriasis lesions, a diverse mixture of cytokines is upregulated which influence each other generating a complex inflammatory situation. Although this is the case, the inhibition of Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) alone showed unprecedented clinical results in patients, indicating that IL-17A is a critical inducer of psoriasis pathogenesis. To elucidate IL-17A-driven keratinocyte-intrinsic signaling pathways, we treated monolayers of normal human epidermal keratinocytes in vitro with a mixture of 6 cytokines (IL-17A, TNF-a, IL-17C, IL-22, IL-36g and IFN-g) involved in psoriasis, to mimic the inflammatory milieu in psoriasis lesions. Microarray and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that this cytokine mixture induced similar gene expression changes with the previous transcriptome studies using psoriasis lesions. Importantly, we identified a set of IL-17A-regulated genes in keratinocytes, which recapitulate typical psoriasis genes exemplified by DEFB4A, S100A7, IL19 and CSF3, based on differences in the expression profiles of cells stimulated with 6 cytokines versus cells stimulated with only 5 cytokines lacking IL-17A. Furthermore a specific IL-17A-induced gene, NFKBIZ, which encodes IkappaB-zeta, a transcriptional regulator for NF-kappaB, was demonstrated to have a significant role for IL-17A-induced gene expression. Thus, we present novel in vitro data from normal human keratinocytes that would help elucidating the IL-17A-driven keratinocyte activation in psoriasis.
Project description:Chronic inflammation plays a significant role in tumor promotion, migration and invasion. Using microarray analysis, we observed a profound increase in genes involved in pro-inflammatory pathways in epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRI)-treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines compared to their respective vehicle-treated cell lines. We hypothesized that the efficacy of EGFRIs may be offset by the pro-inflammatory response that these drugs produce in HNSCC tumor cells. We found that clinical EGFRIs such as erlotinib, cetuximab, lapatinib and panitumumab induced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF, TNFα and IFNγ. Focusing on IL-6, we found that erlotinib induced a time-dependent increase in IL-6 mRNA and protein expression and exogenous IL-6 was able to protect HNSCC cells from erlotinib-induced cytotoxicity. Conversely, an IL-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab, sensitized HNSCC cells to erlotinib in vitro and in vivo. Inhibitors of NFκB, p38 and JNK suppressed erlotinib-induced IL-6 expression, suggesting an important role of NFκB and MAPK pathways in IL-6 expression. Furthermore, knockdown of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) suppressed erlotinib-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines expression. Taken together, these results suggest that clinical EGFRIs induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines via NOX4. Therefore, the anti-tumor activity of EGFRIs may be partially reduced by activation of NOX4-mediated pro-inflammatory pathways in HNSCC. Total RNA was isolated from Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma cell lines FADU, SQ20B and Cal 27 subjected to 48 hours of 0.01% DMSO or 5uM EGFR inhibitor, erlotinib treatment.