| 1. |
- Andersson, Annica, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Estrogen regulates T helper 17 phenotype and localization in experimental autoimmune arthritis
- 2015
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Ingår i: Arthritis Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-6354. ; 17:32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The incidence and progression of many autoimmune diseases are sex-biased, which might be explained by the immunomodulating properties of endocrine hormones. Treatment with estradiol potently inhibits experimental autoimmune arthritis. Interleukin-17-producing T helper cells (Th17) are key players in several autoimmune diseases, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of estrogen on Th17 cells in experimental arthritis. Methods: Ovariectomized DBA/1 mice treated with 17 beta-estradiol (E2) or placebo were subjected to collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), and arthritis development was assessed. Th17 cells in joints and lymph nodes were studied by flow cytometry. Lymph node Th17 cells were also examined in ovariectomized estrogen receptor a-knockout mice (ERa-/-) and wild-type littermates, treated with E2 or placebo and subjected to antigen-induced arthritis. Results: E2-treated mice with established CIA showed reduced severity of arthritis and fewer Th17 cells in joints compared with controls. Interestingly, E2-treated mice displayed increased Th17 cells in lymph nodes during the early phase of the disease, dependent on ER alpha. E2 increased the expression of C-C chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) on lymph node Th17 cells as well as the expression of the corresponding C-C chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) within lymph nodes. Conclusions: This is the first study in which the effects of E2 on Th17 cells have been characterized in experimental autoimmune arthritis. We report that E2 treatment results in an increase of Th17 cells in lymph nodes during the early phase of arthritis development, but leads to a decrease of Th17 in joints during established arthritis. Our data suggest that this may be caused by interference with the CCR6-CCL20 pathway, which is important for Th17 cell migration. This study contributes to the understanding of the role of estrogen in the development of autoimmune arthritis and opens up new fields for research concerning the sex bias in autoimmune disease.
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| 2. |
- Andersson, Annica, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Selective oestrogen receptor modulators lasofoxifene and bazedoxifene inhibit joint inflammation and osteoporosis in ovariectomised mice with collagen-induced arthritis.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Rheumatology (Oxford, England). - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1462-0332 .- 1462-0324. ; 55:3, s. 553-563
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RA predominantly affects post-menopausal women and is strongly associated with development of generalised osteoporosis. To find treatments that target both joint manifestations and osteoporosis in RA is desirable. The third generation of selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) [lasofoxifene (LAS) and bazedoxifene (BZA)] are new treatment options for post-menopausal osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of LAS and BZA on arthritic disease and inflammation-associated bone loss using CIA in mice.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Annica, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Suppression of Experimental Arthritis and Associated Bone Loss by a Tissue-Selective Estrogen Complex.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : The Endocrine Society. - 1945-7170 .- 0013-7227. ; 157:3, s. 1013-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In addition to the systemic inflammation present in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), decreased estradiol levels in postmenopausal RA patients further accelerate bone loss in these patients. The tissue-selective estrogen complex (TSEC), an estrogen combined with a selective estrogen receptor modulator, is a new hormone replacement therapy option. The first approved TSEC, containing conjugated estrogens and bazedoxifene (BZA), reduces menopausal symptoms and prevents osteoporosis with an improved safety profile compared with conventional hormone replacement therapy. Previous studies have shown that estrogens strongly inhibit experimental arthritis whereas BZA is mildly suppressive. In this study the antiarthritic potential of combined BZA and estradiol is explored for the first time. Female ovariectomized DBA/1 mice were subjected to collagen-induced arthritis, an experimental postmenopausal RA model, and treated with BZA, 17β-estradiol (E2), combined BZA and E2 (BZA/E2), or vehicle. BZA/E2 suppressed arthritis severity and frequency, synovitis, and joint destruction, equally efficient as E2 alone. Unwanted estrogenic proliferative effects on the endometrium were blocked by the addition of BZA, determined by collecting uterine weights. Bone mineral density was measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and all treatments protected collagen-induced arthritis mice from both trabecular and cortical bone loss. Moreover, BZA/E2, but not E2 alone, inhibited preosteoclast formation and reduced serum anticollagen type II antibodies. In conclusion, a TSEC, herein combined BZA/E2, suppresses experimental arthritis and prevents associated bone loss as efficiently as E2 alone but with minimal uterine effects, highlighting the need for clinical trials that evaluate the addition of a TSEC to conventional postmenopausal RA treatment.
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| 4. |
- Bernardi, Angelina I, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of lasofoxifene and bazedoxifene on B cell development and function.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Immunity, inflammation and disease. - : Wiley. - 2050-4527. ; 2:4, s. 214-25
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The third generation selective estrogen receptor modulators lasofoxifene (las) and bazedoxifene (bza) are indicated for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. 17β-Estradiol (E2) and the second generation SERM raloxifene (ral) have major effects on the immune system, particularly on B cells. Treatment with E2 or ral inhibits B lymphopoiesis and treatment with E2, but not ral, stimulates antibody production. The effects of las and bza on the immune system have not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate their role in B cell development, maturation, and function. C57BL/6 mice were sham-operated or ovariectomized (ovx) and treated with vehicle, E2, ral, las, or bza. All substances increased total bone mineral density in ovx mice, as measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. In uterus, bza alone lacked agonistic effect in ovx mice and even acted as an antagonist in sham mice. As expected, E2 decreased B cell numbers at all developmental stages from pre-BI cells (in bone marrow) to transitional 1 (T1) B cells (in spleen) and increased marginal zone (MZ) B cells as determined by flow cytometry. However, treatment with las or bza only decreased the last stages of bone marrow B cell development and splenic T1 B cells, but had no effect MZ B cells. E2 increased antibody-producing cells quantified by ELISPOT, but las or bza did not. In conclusion, las and bza differ from E2 by retaining normal number of cells at most B cell stages during B lymphopoiesis and maturation and by not increasing antibody-producing cells.
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| 5. |
- Grahnemo, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Trabecular bone loss in collagen antibody-induced arthritis
- 2015
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Ingår i: Arthritis Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-6354. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased risk of developing osteoporosis due to chronic inflammation and estrogen deprivation. Collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA), an experimental polyarthritis model representing the effector phase of arthritis, is mainly mediated by the innate immune system. Compared to the widely used collagen-induced arthritis model, CAIA is conveniently short and can be used in C57BL/6 mice, enabling studies with knock-out mice. However, the impact on bone of the CAIA model in C57BL/6 mice has not previously been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if CAIA can be used to study postmenopausal arthritis-induced osteoporosis. Methods: CAIA was induced by administration of collagen-type II antibodies and lipopolysaccharide to ovariectomized female C57BL/6J mice. Control mice received lipopolysaccharide, but no antibodies. Nine days later, femurs were collected for high-resolution micro-CT and histomorphometry. Serum was used to assess cartilage breakdown and levels of complement. Frequencies of immune cell subsets from bone marrow and lymph nodes were analyzed by flow cytometery. Results: Trabecular bone mass was decreased and associated with increased number of osteoclasts per bone surface in the CAIA model. Also, the frequency of interleukin-17(+) cells in lymph nodes was increased in CAIA. Conclusion: The present study show that CAIA, a short reproducible arthritis model that is compatible with C57BL/6 mice, is associated with increased number of osteoclasts and trabecular bone loss.
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| 6. |
- Magnusson, Lisa U., 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase Type B Knockdown Leads to Reduced Lipid Accumulation and Inflammation in Atherosclerosis
- 2012
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inflammation in the vascular wall is important for development of atherosclerosis. We have shown previously that arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase type B (ALOX15B) is more highly expressed in human atherosclerotic lesions than in healthy arteries. This enzyme oxidizes fatty acids to substances that promote local inflammation and is expressed in lipid-loaded macrophages (foam cells) present in the atherosclerotic lesions. Here, we investigated the role of ALOX15B in foam cell formation in human primary macrophages and found that silencing of human ALOX15B decreased cellular lipid accumulation as well as proinflammatory cytokine secretion from macrophages. To investigate the role of ALOX15B in promoting the development of atherosclerosis in vivo, we used lentiviral shRNA silencing and bone marrow transplantation to knockdown mouse Alox15b gene expression in LDL-receptor-deficient (Ldlr(-/-)) mice. Knockdown of mouse Alox15b in vivo decreased plaque lipid content and markers of inflammation. In summary, we have shown that ALOX15B influences progression of atherosclerosis, indicating that this enzyme has an active proatherogenic role.
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| 7. |
- Nurkkala Karlsson, Merja, 1966, et al.
(författare)
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Essential role of local antibody distribution in mediating bone-resorbing effects.
- 2024
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - 2045-2322. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The link between antibodies and bone mass is debated. Activated IgG, which interacts directly with Fc gamma receptors, stimulates osteoclastogenesis in vitro, and local injection in immune-activated mice leads to bone loss. Multiple myeloma patients with high serum IgG levels have induced osteoclast activation and display bone loss. In addition, bone loss has been linked to serum autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases, including anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Whether serum IgG or autoantibodies regulate bone mass under healthy conditions is poorly studied. In elderly men, neither serum levels of polyclonal IgG nor autoantibody were associated with areal bone mineral density in the MrOS Sweden study. Repetitive systemic injections of high-dose polyclonal IgG complexes in mice did not exert any discernible impact on bone mineral density. However, repetitive local intra-articular injection of the same IgG complexes led to a localized reduction of trabecular bone density. These results indicate antibodies may only impact bone density when close to the bone, such as within the synovial joint.
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| 8. |
- Nurkkala Karlsson, Merja, 1966
(författare)
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Therapeutic dendritic cell vaccination against human papillomavirus
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cervical cancer, which is caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), is the second most common cancer among women worldwide, leading to 230000 deaths annually. The two currently available HPV vaccines can only be used prophylactically, so they are of no use to the 291 million women who are already infected and at risk of developing cancer. Early stage cervical cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, although the treatment outcomes for patients with recurrent disease are poor. The main goals of this thesis were to develop and evaluate a possible treatment against HPV-induced cervical disease. HPV uses several different mechanisms to evade elimination by the immune system, e.g., suppression of inflammation in the infected epithelium and down-modulation of the presentation of HPV antigens on MHC molecules, thereby avoiding recognition by immune cells. The use of TLR ligands as local treatments to overcome HPV-induced down-modulation of immune responses has been investigated. The results show that intravaginal or intratumoural administration of TLR ligands enhances the expression of both MHC molecules and chemokines, and promotes the influx of immune cells into the targeted tissues. Dendritic cells (DCs) sense danger and activate antigen-specific T cells in the adaptive immune system, leading to the killing of virus-infected cells. The use of DCs as a therapeutic cancer vaccine was assessed in mice with tumours that expressed the HPV16 E7 antigen. The antigen used, E7, was chemically conjugated to cholera toxin (CT-E7), to enhance both antigen uptake and presentation and DC maturation. Vaccination with CT-E7-DCs primed for tumour-specific cytotoxic T cells led to a significantly reduced tumour burden. Complete tumour eradication was achieved by combining CT-E7-DC vaccination with intratumoural administration of a TLR ligand. The CT-E7-DCs also activated E7-specific human T cells, as demonstrated in vitro using blood cells from patients with HPV-induced cervical disease. The CT-E7-pulsed DCs produced IL-12 and induced E7-specific CD4+ T-cell responses, including the production of IFN-γ, which is crucial for a robust anti-tumour response. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which is an enzyme produced by DCs, is proposed to affect negatively the outcome of DC vaccination owing to its down-regulation of T-cell responses. The results presented in this thesis show that exposure of DCs to CT does not induce IDO transcription or activity, whereas it does prime DCs for CD40 ligand-induced IDO production. The results outlined in this thesis highlight the potential of a combinational immunotherapeutic treatment against HPV-induced cervical disease, indicating that it may be possible in the future to treat patients who have HPV-induced malignancies.
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| 9. |
- Slavica, Lucija, et al.
(författare)
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Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase Expression and Functional Activity in Dendritic Cells Exposed to Cholera Toxin
- 2012
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0300-9475. ; 76:2, s. 113-122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a tryptophan-metabolizing enzyme expressed by dendritic cells (DC), has the potential to inhibit T cell responses and to promote tolerance. In contrast, cholera toxin (CT), the enterotoxin produced by Vibrio cholerae, promotes T cell responses, partly through its ability to induce DC maturation and promote antigen presentation. We hypothesized that the adjuvant activity of CT is associated with a lack of induction of IDO in DC. To test this hypothesis, monocyte-derived DC were pulsed with CT, and the IDO mRNA expression, IDO functional activity and cytokine production were measured as well as the ability of DC to induce T cell responses in vitro. Cholera toxin exposure induced enhanced levels of IDO mRNA in DC but no functional IDO protein activity. Cholera toxin pulsing however primed DC for CD40L-induced IDO protein activity. CD40L stimulation of CT-pulsed DC induced a modest IL-12p40 production, but not IL-12p70 or IL-23 secretion. Furthermore, CT-pulsed DC induced strong allogeneic and autologous T cell responses in vitro, which were not affected by the IDO-specific inhibitor 1-methyl tryptophan. Our results show that CT per se does not induce the expression of functional IDO protein, although it primes DC for CD40L-mediated IDO production and IL-12p40 secretion. Furthermore, CT-treated DC were equally powerful in their T cell stimulatory capacity as cytokine-matured DC.
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| 10. |
- Slavica, Lucija, et al.
(författare)
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TLR3 impairment in human newborns.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of leukocyte biology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1938-3673 .- 0741-5400. ; 94:5, s. 1003-1011
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Newborns are highly susceptible to viral infections. We hypothesized that this susceptibility could be due to a dysregulated expression of innate virus-sensing receptors, i.e., TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 and the cytosolic receptors retinoic acid-inducible gene I, melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5, protein kinase R, and IFN-γ-inducible protein 16. Cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) expressed mRNA for all these receptors except for TLR3. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), TLR3 mRNA was preferentially expressed in cytotoxic cells, particularly CD56(dim) NK cells. Cord NK cells in contrast showed low TLR3 mRNA expression and lacked TLR3 protein expression. Cord NK cells did not produce IFN-γ in response to polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)], whereas strong IFN-γ production was observed in poly(I:C)-stimulated adult NK cells. Cord NK cells had poor cytotoxic function that was only marginally enhanced by exposure to the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C). Opposite to NK cells from adults, their cytotoxicity was not improved by herpes simplex virus (HSV) exposure and they were unable to kill HSV-infected cells. There were no differences in the TLR3 mRNA levels among men, women, and pregnant women, implying that TLR3 is not under sex hormone control. However, decidual NK cells expressed low levels of TLR3 mRNA, which was attributed to their CD56(bright) phenotype. Our data show that cord blood NK cells have deficient TLR3 expression associated with an inability to respond to poly(I:C) and HSV activation and to kill HSV-infected cells. This might explain why newborns are particularly sensitive to neonatal HSV infections.
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