A Novel Role for IL-6 Receptor Classic Signaling : Induction of RORγt+Foxp3+ Tregs with Enhanced Suppressive Capacity

Copyright © 2019 by the American Society of Nephrology..

BACKGROUND: New therapies blocking the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) have recently become available and are successfully being used to treat inflammatory diseases like arthritis. Whether IL-6 blockers may help patients with kidney inflammation currently remains unknown.

METHODS: To learn more about the complex role of CD4+ T cell-intrinsic IL-6R signaling, we induced nephrotoxic nephritis, a mouse model for crescentic GN, in mice lacking T cell-specific IL-6Ra. We used adoptive transfer experiments and studies in reporter mice to analyze immune responses and Treg subpopulations.

RESULTS: Lack of IL-6Ra signaling in mouse CD4+ T cells impaired the generation of proinflammatory Th17 cells, but surprisingly did not ameliorate the course of GN. In contrast, renal damage was significantly reduced by restricting IL-6Ra deficiency to T effector cells and excluding Tregs. Detailed studies of Tregs revealed unaltered IL-10 production despite IL-6Ra deficiency. However, in vivo and in vitro, IL-6Ra classic signaling induced RORγt+Foxp3+ double-positive Tregs (biTregs), which carry the trafficking receptor CCR6 and have potent immunoregulatory properties. Indeed, lack of IL-6Ra significantly reduced Treg in vitro suppressive capacity. Finally, adoptive transfer of T cells containing IL-6Ra-/- Tregs resulted in severe aggravation of GN in mice.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data refine the old paradigm, that IL-6 enhances Th17 responses and suppresses Tregs. We here provide evidence that T cell-intrinsic IL-6Ra classic signaling indeed induces the generation of Th17 cells but at the same time highly immunosuppressive RORγt+ biTregs. These results advocate caution and indicate that IL-6-directed therapies for GN need to be cell-type specific.

Errataetall:

CommentIn: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 Aug;30(8):1341-1344. - PMID 31366693

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2019

Erschienen:

2019

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:30

Enthalten in:

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN - 30(2019), 8 vom: 11. Aug., Seite 1439-1453

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Hagenstein, Julia [VerfasserIn]
Melderis, Simon [VerfasserIn]
Nosko, Anna [VerfasserIn]
Warkotsch, Matthias T [VerfasserIn]
Richter, Johannes V [VerfasserIn]
Ramcke, Torben [VerfasserIn]
Herrnstadt, Georg R [VerfasserIn]
Scheller, Jürgen [VerfasserIn]
Yan, Isabell [VerfasserIn]
Mittrücker, Hans-Willi [VerfasserIn]
Kluger, Malte A [VerfasserIn]
Steinmetz, Oliver M [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Chemokine receptor
FOXP3 protein, human
Forkhead Transcription Factors
Glomerulonephritis
Il6ra protein, mouse
Immunology and pathology
Immunosuppressive Agents
Interleukin-6 Receptor alpha Subunit
Journal Article
Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3
Receptors, Interleukin-6
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Rorc protein, mouse

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 27.04.2020

Date Revised 01.08.2020

published: Print-Electronic

CommentIn: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 Aug;30(8):1341-1344. - PMID 31366693

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1681/ASN.2019020118

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM299247112