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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model
Published on: March 17, 2023
Interleukin-27 is a multitarget regulator of fibroblast remodeling in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy
Pengbo Zhang1,2, Xiaofang Wang3, Nanji Lu1,2
1Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is characterized by inflammation and tissue remodeling, including fibrosis and adipogenesis. Here, we identify interleukin-27 (IL-27) as a negative feedback immunomodulator in TAO. Serum IL-27α levels were significantly elevated in patients with TAO compared with healthy and inflammatory disease controls. In orbital fibroblasts (OFs), exogenous IL-27 suppressed IL-1β-induced proinflammatory cytokines and reduced hypoxia-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. IL-27 also attenuated TGF-β-driven fibrosis via p38 MAPK signaling in CD90+ OFs. Furthermore, in CD90- OFs, IL-27 restrained adipogenic differentiation by dampening AKT signaling and suppressing hypoxia-induced adipogenesis in a ROS-dependent manner. Our results indicate that IL-27 signaling acts as a multifunctional regulator and negative feedback modulator that helps limit the pathological progression of TAO.
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