Th17细胞分化的调节

Th17细胞是一群分泌IL-17的CD4+T细胞,它在分化发育及功能上不同于Th1细胞和Th2细胞。目前认为Th17细胞与自身免疫性疾病的发生发展密切相关,Th17细胞在病灶部位高表达,并与疾病的严重程度相一致。研究发现:CD4+CD25+Treg和Th17细胞的分化均需要TGF-β,并通过IL-6决定两者的分化比例,CD4+CD25+Treg和Th17细胞的动态平衡在机体免疫防御、免疫自稳中起着重要作用;RORγt是Th17细胞分化的关键转录因子,RORγt的表达依赖于IL-6和TGF-β;IL-23及其受体能上调Th17细胞的表达,而IL-12、IFN-γ、IL-4、T-bet抑制其表达。对Th17细胞的深入研究将有助于我们对自身免疫性疾病发病机制的深入了解。     

IL-25和IL-33促进Th2细胞分化的研究进展

Th2细胞介导的免疫应答是机体清除寄生虫感染和变态反应性疾病发生的主要机制。T细胞产生的一些细胞因子能够有效地调节和促进Th2细胞介导的免疫应答。最近的研究发现,肠粘膜上皮细胞分泌的IL-25和IL-33可以诱导几种新型的固有免疫细胞来促进Th2细胞的分化和激活,增加IL4、IL-5和IL—13的分泌,从而清除体内寄生虫。     

Th17细胞的分化调控与自身免疫性疾病

Th17细胞是最近发现的一种在分化和功能上均不同于Th1和Th2的新型CD4＋T细胞亚群.该群细胞以主要分泌细胞因子IL-17而得名.IL-6、TGF-β、IL-21及IL-23等对Th17细胞的分化调控发挥重要作用.研究表明,Th17细胞可参与多种自身免疫性疾病的发生、发展与转归.     

Th17与自身免疫性疾病

当初始CD4+T细胞接受抗原刺激时,在不同的细胞因子环境中分化为不同的淋巴细胞亚群.Th17作为一种新的T细胞亚群是在TGF-β与IL-6存在时经由孤独核受体(ROB)-γt途径分化而来,而当环境中仅有TGF-β时却分化为CD4+CD25+Foxp3+调节性T细胞(Tr).与Th1一样,Th17被认为在自身免疫性疾病和炎症反应的发生和进展中都发挥重要的病理作用,相反,Tr则起着抗炎和免疫负性调节的作用.因此Th1及Th17倾向的免疫应答可能导致炎症反应与自身免疫性疾病的发生和进展,故在体内阻断其相关的细胞因子IL-17、IL-6等则可使Th1、Th17及Tr重新保持平衡而对自身免疫性疾病产生治疗作用.     

肠道内Th17细胞的特征及其在炎症性肠病中的作用

Th17细胞是近几年发现的一类能够分泌白介素17(interleukin 17,IL-17)的CD4+T细胞,与自身免疫性疾病以及慢性炎症关系密切。Th17细胞在肠道内的增殖、分化、成熟具有一定的特征性,是肠道免疫屏障的重要组成部分,同时Th17细胞又能根据肠道内的变化分泌细胞因子来维持肠道免疫稳态,如IL-17、IL-22等。另一方面,肠道免疫机制异常在炎症性肠病的发病机制中占重要地位,Th17细胞及其相关细胞因子参与炎症性肠病的免疫反应,调节Th17细胞在肠道内的动态平衡对于治疗肠道疾病意义重大。本文就Th17细胞在肠道内的增殖分化、生物学功能、与炎症性肠病的关系以及关于Th17细胞动态平衡的调节做一综述。     

Th9细胞与自身免疫性疾病关系的研究进展

Th9细胞是不同于已知的Th1细胞、Th2细胞及Th17细胞等一种新型的CD4+辅助性T细胞亚群,因其主要分泌白介素9(IL-9)而得名。目前很多研究已证实Th9细胞及其分泌的IL-9在多种自身免疫性疾病及过敏性疾病的发生发展中发挥重要作用。通过对Th9细胞及其分泌的IL-9的研究,将会为自身免疫性疾病的防治提供重要的理论依据。本文就Th9细胞与自身免疫性疾病的研究进展进行综述。     

Th17与自身免疫性疾病

Th17细胞是新近发现的一类新型的能够分泌白细胞介素17(interleukin 17,IL-17)的CD4+T细胞。在IL-6和TGF-β作用下,初始CD4+T细胞分化为Th17细胞。分化成熟的Th17细胞可以分泌IL-17,IL-17F和IL-22等多种细胞因子,其中IL-17和IL-17F是其主要效应分子。临床前和临床数据均表明:Th17细胞与一些自身免疫性疾病(如系统性红斑狼疮、类风湿性关节炎、多发性硬化、银屑病、炎症性肠病、自身免疫性甲状腺疾病)有关。     

Th22细胞在自身免疫性疾病中作用的研究进展

Th22细胞为新近发现的一群不同于Th1、Th2及Th17细胞的CI4+T细胞亚群,其表型为CCR6+CCR4+CCR10+,主要分泌IL-22,但不生成IL-17和IFN-γ.Th22细胞有其独特的基因表达谱及功能谱,协同其它淋巴细胞亚群构成机体错综复杂的免疫调控网络,以维持机体稳态.新近文献报道,Th22细胞及其效应分子IL-22在自身免疫性疾病发生与发展中扮演重要角色,深入探讨Th22细胞生物学特性及其介导的自身免疫性疾病有助于阐明相关疾病病理生理机制,亦为其治疗提供坚实的理论基础.     

Th17细胞与自身免疫性疾病

Th17细胞是近年发现的不同于Th1细胞和Th2细胞的新型CD4^＋T细胞亚群。活化的Th17细胞可分泌IL—17、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF—α）、IL-6、粒-单核细胞集落刺激因子（GM—CSF）等多种促炎症因子,Th17细胞不适当的激活与多种自身免疫性疾病和过敏性疾病密切相关。在体内阻断Th17细胞的分化、扩增及其相关细胞因子可预防、延缓或阻止自身免疫性疾病的发生、发展。     

L-17与自身免疫性疾病关系的研究进展

IL-17是CD4 T细胞亚群Th17分泌的细胞因子。Th17的发育、扩增及分泌IL-17主要受TGF-β、IL-6、IL-15、IL-23等细胞因子的调控。IL-17调节前炎性因子、趋化因子等的产生及分泌,在白细胞的迁移、破骨细胞的活化和骨质的吸收等方面发挥重要作用。研究证实,IL-17在自身免疫性疾病的发生、发展中也具有一定的影响和作用。     

IL-25 in allergic inflammation

IL-25, also known as IL-17E, is a member of the IL-17 cytokine family mostly produced by epithelial cells and innate immune cells. After binding to the IL-17RB/IL-17RA complex, IL-25 induces downstream signaling responses in epithelial cells and type 2 lymphocytes, which initiates, propagates, and sustains type 2 immunity. The function of IL-25 in allergic diseases such as asthma has been well established, and now also is extended to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. This review summarizes the literature on IL-25 and discusses the unsolved questions. Our knowledge on IL-25 will pave the pathway for targeting this cytokine in inflammatory diseases.     

IL-33及其与相关疾病关系的研究进展

IL-33是最近发现的一种新IL-1家族细胞因子,可发挥双重作用,作为细胞因子参与调节Th2型机体免疫和炎症反应;同时作为核因子定位于细胞核内,起转录调控作用.IL-33被认为是Th2型免疫反应的关键活化因子,例如在线虫和变态反应疾病中促进Th2细胞、肥大细胞、嗜碱粒细胞、嗜酸性细胞活化释放IL-5、IL-13等Th2...     

Interleukin 25 in allergic airway inflammation

T helper 2 (Th2) cells induce allergic inflammation through the production of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13. Recently, it has been demonstrated that a novel IL-17 family cytokine IL-25 (IL-17E) is a product of activated Th2 cells and mast cells. Interestingly, when systemically administered to mice, IL-25 induces IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 production from undefined non-T/non-B cells and then induces Th2-type immune responses such as blood eosinophilia and increased serum immunoglobulin E levels. In addition, we have recently shown that IL-25 mRNA is expressed in the lung after an inhaled antigen challenge in sensitized mice and that neutralization of the produced IL-25 by soluble IL-25 receptor decreases antigen-induced eosinophil and CD4+ T cell recruitment into the airways. Moreover, we have shown that the enforced expression of IL-25 in the lung significantly enhances antigen-induced Th2 cytokine production and eosinophil recruitment into the airways, and that the IL-25-mediated enhancement of antigen-induced eosinophil recruitment is inhibited by the depletion of CD4+ T cells. Thus, it is suggested that IL-25 plays an important role in enhancing allergic airway inflammation by a CD4+ T-cell-dependent mechanism.     

Regulation of immune responses by interleukin-27

Summary: Cytokine-mediated immunity plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various diseases including autoimmunity. Recently, interleukin-27 (IL-27) was identified, which, along with IL-12, IL-23, and IL-35, belongs to the IL-12 cytokine family. These family members play roles in the regulation of T helper (Th) cell differentiation. IL-27 is unique in that while it induces Th1 differentiation, the same cytokine suppresses immune responses. In the absence of IL-27-mediated immunosuppression, hyper-production of various pro-inflammatory cytokines concomitant with severe inflammation in affected organs was observed in IL-27 receptor α chain (WSX-1)-deficient mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. Experimental allergic or inflammatory responses were also enhanced in WSX-1-deficient mice. The immunosuppressive effects of IL-27 depend on inhibition of the development of Th17 cells (a newly identified inflammatory T-helper population) and induction of IL-10 production. Moreover, administration of IL-27 or augmentation of IL-27 signaling suppresses some diseases of autoimmune or allergic origin, demonstrating its potential in therapy of diseases mediated by inflammatory cytokines. In this review, we discuss recent studies on the role of IL-27 in immunity to parasitic and bacterial infections as well as in allergy and autoimmunity in view of its pro- and anti-inflammatory properties.     

IL-25 Promotes Th2 Immunity Responses in Airway Inflammation of Asthmatic Mice via Activation of Dendritic Cells

Allergic asthma occurs as a consequence of inappropriate immunologic inflammation to allergens and characterized by Th2 adaptive immune response. Recent studies indicated that interleukin (IL)-25, a member of the IL-17 cytokine family, had been implicated in inducing Th2 cell-dependent inflammation in airway epithelium and IL-25-deficient mice exhibit impaired Th2 immunity responses; however, how these cytokines influence innate immune responses remains poorly understood. In this study, we used ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge to induce the murine asthmatic model and confirmed by histological analysis of lung tissues and serum levels of total and OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)-E. The expression of IL-25 was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively, and the dendritic cells (DCs) activation was detected by levels of CD80 and CD86 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) by flow cytometry. The mice sensitized and challenged with OVA showed high expression of IL-25 in both mRNA and protein levels in lungs. We detected the expression of CD80 and CD86 in BALF was also increased. A tight correlation between IL-25 mRNA and other Th2 cells producing cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in BALF was identified. Furthermore, when the asthmatic mice were treated with inhaled corticosteroids, the inflammatory cells infiltration and the inflammatory cytokines secretion were significantly decreased. In this study, we show that IL-25 promoted the accumulation of co-stimulatory molecules of CD80 and CD86 on DCs and then induced the differentiation of prime naive CD4⁺ T cells to become proinflammatory Th2 cells and promoted Th2 cytokine responses in OVA-induced airway inflammation. The ability of IL-25 to promote the activation and differentiation of DCs population was identified as a link between the IL-17 cytokine family and the innate immune response and suggested a previously unrecognized innate immune pathway that promotes Th2 cytokine responses in asthmatic airway inflammation. Inhaled corticosteroids might be capable of inhibiting the promotion of IL-25 and present a promising strategy for the treatment of asthma     

Unexpected connections of the IL-23/IL-17 and IL-4/IL-13 cytokine axes in inflammatory arthritis and enthesitis

The IL-23/IL-17 cytokine axis is related to spondyloarthropathy (SpA) pattern diseases that target the skin, eye, gut and joints. These share overlapping target tissues with Th2 type or allergic diseases, including the skin, eye and gut but SpA diseases exhibit distinct microanatomical topography, molecular characteristics, and clinical features including uveitis, psoriasis, apical pulmonary involvement, lower gastrointestinal involvement with colitis, and related arthritides including psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Inflammatory arthritis is conspicuously absent from the Th2 diseases which are characterised IL-4/IL-13 dependent pathway activation including allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, atopic eczema, allergic asthma and food allergies. This traditional understanding of non-overlap of musculoskeletal territory between that atopic diseases and the IL-17 -mediated SpA diseases is undergoing a critical reappraisal with the recent demonstration of IL-4/IL-13 blockade, may be associated with the development of SpA pattern arthritis, psoriasiform skin disease and occasional anterior uveitis. Given the known plasticity within Th paradigm pathways, these findings suggest dynamic Th2 cytokine and Th17 cytokine counter regulation in vivo in humans. Unexpected, this is the case in peripheral enthesis and when the IL-4/13 immunological brake on IL-23/17 cytokines is removed, a SpA phenotype may emerge. We discuss hitherto unexpected observations in SpA, showing counter regulation between the Th17 and Th2 pathways at sites including the entheses that collectively indicate that the emergent reverse translational therapeutic data is more than coincidental and offers new insights into the “Th paradigms” in atopy and SpA.     

IL-17R activation of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts induces IL-23 p19 production: Differential involvement of NF-κB versus JNK/AP-1 pathways

Interleukin (IL)-23 is an essential cytokine involved in the expansion of a novel CD4⁺ T helper subset known as Th17, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis recently. This study hypothesised that Th17 signature cytokine IL-17 may target specialised human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLFs) for production of IL-23 p19, a key subunit of IL-23. Primary hPDLFs had steady expression of IL-17 receptor (IL-17R) mRNA and surface-bound protein. IL-17 was capable of stimulating the expression of IL-23 p19 mRNA and protein in cultured hPDLFs, which was attenuated by IL-17 or IL-17R neutralising antibodies. In accordance with the enhanced expression of IL-23 p19, IL-17 stimulation resulted in rapid activation of Akt, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), and activator protein-1 (AP-1) in hPDLFs. Inhibitors of Akt, p38 MAPK, ERK 1/2, or NF-κB significantly suppressed, whereas blocking JNK and AP-1 substantially augmented IL-23 p19 production from IL-17-stimulated hPDLFs. Moreover, IL-17-initiated NF-κB activation was blocked by Akt, p38 MAPK, or ERK 1/2 inhibition, while AP-1 activity was specifically abrogated by JNK inhibition. Thus, these results provide evidence that hPDLFs are a target of Th17, and that IL-17 appears to up-regulate the expression of IL-23 p19 via a homeostatic mechanism involving Akt-, p38 MAPK-, and ERK 1/2-dependent NF-κB signalling versus the JNK/AP-1 pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest that disruption of the interaction between IL-17 and IL-23 may be a potential therapeutic approach in the treatment of periodontitis.