Interleukin-6 signaling drives fibrosis in unresolved inflammation.

Fibrosis in response to tissue damage or persistent inflammation is a pathological hallmark of many chronic degenerative diseases. By using a model of acute peritoneal inflammation, we have examined how repeated inflammatory activation promotes fibrotic tissue injury. In this context, fibrosis was strictly dependent on interleukin-6 (IL-6). Repeat inflammation induced IL-6-mediated T helper 1 (Th1) cell effector commitment and the emergence of STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription-1) activity within the peritoneal membrane. Fibrosis was not observed in mice lacking interferon-γ (IFN-γ), STAT1, or RAG-1. Here, IFN-γ and STAT1 signaling disrupted the turnover of extracellular matrix by metalloproteases. Whereas IL-6-deficient mice resisted fibrosis, transfer of polarized Th1 cells or inhibition of MMP activity reversed this outcome. Thus, IL-6 causes compromised tissue repair by shifting acute inflammation into a more chronic profibrotic state through induction of Th1 cell responses as a consequence of recurrent inflammation.

Overproduction of NOX-derived ROS in AML promotes proliferation and is associated with defective oxidative stress signaling.

Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is frequently observed in cancer and is known to strongly influence hematopoietic cell function. Here we report that extracellular ROS production is strongly elevated (mean >10-fold) in >60% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and that this increase is attributable to constitutive activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases (NOX). In contrast, overproduction of mitochondrial ROS was rarely observed. Elevated ROS was found to be associated with lowered glutathione levels and depletion of antioxidant defense proteins. We also show for the first time that the levels of ROS generated were able to strongly promote the proliferation of AML cell lines, primary AML blasts, and, to a lesser extent, normal CD34(+) cells, and that the response to ROS is limited by the activation of the oxidative stress pathway mediated though p38(MAPK). Consistent with this, we observed that p38(MAPK) responses were attenuated in patients expressing high levels of ROS. These data show that overproduction of NOX-derived ROS can promote the proliferation of AML blasts and that they also develop mechanisms to suppress the stress signaling that would normally limit this response. Together these adaptations would be predicted to confer a competitive advantage to the leukemic clone.

Regulation of early cartilage destruction in inflammatory arthritis by death receptor 3.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of death receptor 3 (DR-3) and its ligand tumor necrosis factor-like molecule 1A (TL1A) in the early stages of inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: Antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) was generated in C57BL/6 mice deficient in the DR-3 gene (DR3(-/-) ) and their DR3(+/+) (wild-type) littermates by priming and intraarticular injection of methylated bovine serum albumin. The joints were sectioned and analyzed histochemically for damage to cartilage and expression of DR3, TL1A, Ly-6G (a marker for neutrophils), the gelatinase matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), the aggrecanase ADAMTS-5, and the neutrophil chemoattractant CXCL1. In vitro production of MMP-9 was measured in cultures from fibroblasts, macrophages, and neutrophils following the addition of TL1A and other proinflammatory stimuli. RESULTS: DR3 expression was up-regulated in the joints of wild-type mice following generation of AIA. DR3(-/-) mice were protected against cartilage damage compared with wild-type mice, even at early time points prior to the main accumulation of Teff cells in the joint. Early protection against AIA in vivo correlated with reduced levels of MMP-9. In vitro, neutrophils were major producers of MMP-9, while neutrophil numbers were reduced in the joints of DR3(-/-) mice. However, TL1A neither induced MMP-9 release nor affected the survival of neutrophils. Instead, reduced levels of CXCL1 were observed in the joints of DR3(-/-) mice. CONCLUSION: DR-3 drives early cartilage destruction in the AIA model of inflammatory arthritis through the release of CXCL1, maximizing neutrophil recruitment to the joint and leading to enhanced local production of cartilage-destroying enzymes.

Interleukin-10 regulates the inflammasome-driven augmentation of inflammatory arthritis and joint destruction.

INTRODUCTION: Activation of the inflammasome has been implicated in the pathology of various autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases. While the NLRP3 inflammasome has been linked to arthritis progression, little is known about its synovial regulation or contribution to joint histopathology. Regulators of inflammation activation, such as interleukin (IL)-10, may have the potential to limit the inflammasome-driven arthritic disease course and associated structural damage. Hence, we used IL-10-deficient (IL-10KO) mice to assess NLRP3 inflammasome-driven arthritic pathology. METHODS: Antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) was established in IL-10KO mice and wild-type controls. Using histological and radiographic approaches together with quantitative real-time PCR of synovial mRNA studies, we explored the regulation of inflammasome components. These were combined with selective blocking agents and ex vivo investigative studies in osteoclast differentiation assays. RESULTS: In AIA, IL-10KO mice display severe disease with increased histological and radiographic joint scores. Here, focal bone erosions were associated with increased tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells and a localized expression of IL-1ß. When compared to controls, IL-10KO synovium showed increased expression of Il1b, Il33 and NLRP3 inflammasome components. Synovial Nlrp3 and Casp1 expression further correlated with Acp5 (encoding TRAP), while neutralization of IL-10 receptor signaling in control mice caused increased expression of Nlrp3 and Casp1. In ex vivo osteoclast differentiation assays, addition of exogenous IL-10 or selective blockade of the NLRP3 inflammasome inhibited osteoclastogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a link between IL-10, synovial regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the degree of bone erosions observed in inflammatory arthritis.