Complement activation promotes colitis-associated carcinogenesis through activating intestinal IL-1β/IL-17A axis

Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) is the most serious complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Excessive complement activation has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of IBD. However, its role in the development of CAC is largely unknown. Here, using a CAC model induced by combined administration of azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), we demonstrated that complement activation was required for CAC pathogenesis. Deficiency in key components of complement (e.g., C3, C5, or C5a receptor) rendered tumor repression in mice subjected to AOM/DSS. Mechanistic investigation revealed that complement ablation dramatically reduced proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β levels in the colonic tissues that was mainly produced by infiltrating neutrophils. IL-1β promoted colon carcinogenesis by eliciting IL-17 response in intestinal myeloid cells. Furthermore, complement-activation product C5a represented a potent inducer for IL-1β in neutrophil, accounting for downregulation of IL-1β levels in the employed complement-deficient mice. Overall, our study proposes a protumorigenic role of complement in inflammation-related colorectal cancer and that the therapeutic strategies targeting complement may be beneficial for the treatment of CAC in clinic.