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Th2 and eosinophil responses suppress inflammatory arthritis
Zhu Chen1,2, Darja Andreev1, Katharina Oeser3
1Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital Erlangen and Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Gluckstrasse 6, Erlangen 91054, Germany.
Nature Communications
|June 9, 2016
Summary
Helminth infection triggers Th2-eosinophil immune responses that protect against arthritis development and bone loss. This mechanism involves the IL-4/IL-13-STAT6 pathway and anti-inflammatory macrophages, offering a new therapeutic avenue for inflammatory arthritis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Th2-eosinophil immune responses are crucial for combating helminth infections.
- The role of these responses in autoimmune diseases like arthritis is largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective role of Th2-eosinophil responses against arthritis.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this protective effect.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two independent arthritis models in mice.
- Induced helminth infection (Nippostrongylus brasiliensis) to elicit Th2-eosinophil responses.
- Analyzed joint tissues for immune cell infiltration, inflammation markers, and bone erosion.
- Investigated the involvement of the IL-4/IL-13-STAT6 signaling pathway.
- Examined human rheumatoid arthritis patient joint tissues for relevant immune markers.
Main Results:
- Helminth infection significantly inhibited arthritis development and prevented bone loss in mouse models.
- Th2 and eosinophil accumulation in joints correlated with arthritis protection.
- The protective effect was dependent on the IL-4/IL-13-STAT6 pathway.
- Eosinophils promoted the influx of anti-inflammatory macrophages into arthritic joints.
- GATA3-positive cells and eosinophils were detected in human rheumatoid arthritis joints.
Conclusions:
- Helminth-induced Th2-eosinophil activation effectively mitigates inflammatory arthritis.
- Eosinophils play a key role in arthritis modulation via anti-inflammatory macrophages.
- These findings highlight a potential therapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis targeting the Th2 pathway.
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