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Adoptive Immunotherapy of iNKT Cells in Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase (G6PI)-Induced RA Mice
Published on: January 31, 2020
NKT cells promote antibody-induced joint inflammation by suppressing transforming growth factor beta1 production
Hye Young Kim1, Hyun Jung Kim, Hye Sook Min
1Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract:
Although NKT cells has been known to exert protective roles in the development of autoimmune diseases, the functional roles of NKT cells in the downstream events of antibody-induced joint inflammation remain unknown. Thus, we explored the functional roles of NKT cells in antibody-induced arthritis using the K/BxN serum transfer model. NKT cell-deficient mice were resistant to the development of arthritis, and wild-type mice administrated with alpha-galactosyl ceramide, a potent NKT cell activator, aggravated arthritis. In CD1d-/- mice, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 was found to be elevated in joint tissues, and the blockade of TGF-beta1 using neutralizing monoclonal antibodies restored arthritis. The administration of recombinant TGF-beta1 into C57BL/6 mice reduced joint inflammation. Moreover, the adoptive transfer of NKT cells into CD1d-/- mice restored arthritis and reduced TGF-beta1 production. In vitro assay demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-gamma were involved in suppressing TGF-beta1 production in joint cells. The adoptive transfer of NKT cells from IL-4-/- or IFN-gamma-/- mice did not reverse arthritis and TGF-beta1 production in CD1d-/- mice. In conclusion, NKT cells producing IL-4 and IFN-gamma play a role in immune complex-induced joint inflammation by regulating TGF-beta1.
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