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Published on: January 25, 2017
Expression of Interleukin-26 is upregulated in inflammatory bowel disease
Makoto Fujii1, Atsushi Nishida1, Hirotsugu Imaeda1
1Makoto Fujii, Atsushi Nishida, Hirotsugu Imaeda, Masashi Ohno, Kyohei Nishino, Shigeki Sakai, Osamu Inatomi, Shigeki Bamba, Masahiro Kawahara, Akira Andoh, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu 520-2192, Japan.
Aim:
To investigate interleukin (IL)-26 expression in the inflamed mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the function of IL-26.
Methods:
Human colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs) were isolated from colon tissue surgically resected. The expression of IL-26 protein and its receptor complex was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The gene expression induced by IL-26 was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Intracellular signaling pathways were evaluated by immunoblotting and specific small interfering (si) RNA transfection.
Results:
The mRNA and protein expression of IL-26 were significantly enhanced in the inflamed mucosa of patients with IBD. IL-26 receptor complex was expressed in colonic SEMFs in vivo and in vitro. IL-26 stimulated the mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in colonic SEMFs. The inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and siRNAs for signal transducers and activator of transcription 1/3, nuclear factor-kappa B and activator protein-1 significantly reduced the mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-8 induced by IL-26.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that IL-26 plays a role in the pathophysiology of IBD through induction of inflammatory mediators.
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