IL-17A induces endothelial inflammation in systemic sclerosis via the ERK signaling pathway

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 23;8(12):e85032. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085032. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Recent reports have demonstrated that endothelial cells are involved in vascular inflammatory injury in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of SSC. However, little is known about the effects of IL-17A on endothelial cell inflammation in SSC. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of IL-17A in endothelial inflammation. Here, we showed that IL-17A mRNA and protein levels were augmented in the peripheral blood and more IL-17⁺ lymphocytes infiltrated in the perivascular areas in the involved skin of SSC patients. SSC patient serum induced chemokine and adhesion molecule expression in HUVECs, which was blocked by IL-17A neutralization. IL-17A alone induced chemokine and adhesion molecule expression and promoted T cell-HUVEC adhesion. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibition and IL-17A neutralization prominently inhibited chemokine and adhesion molecule expression and blocked T cell-HUVEC adhesion. IL-17A derived from SSC patient serum mediated endothelial cells inflammation by up-regulating chemokines and adhesion molecules, which was blocked by ERK inhibition. These data imply that ERK signal pathway might play a key role in the progression of endothelial injury induced by IL-17A in SSC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Adhesion / physiology
  • Chemokines / metabolism
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Endothelial Cells / pathology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Inflammation / etiology
  • Inflammation / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism*
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / physiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Scleroderma, Systemic / complications
  • Scleroderma, Systemic / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Chemokines
  • DNA Primers
  • IL17A protein, human
  • Interleukin-17

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81000693 and 30872274), and Medical guide project from Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (No. 134119a8400). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.