T helper 9 cells induced by plasmacytoid dendritic cells regulate interleukin-17 in multiple sclerosis

Clin Sci (Lond). 2015 Aug;129(4):291-303. doi: 10.1042/CS20140608.

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by persistent inflammation orchestrated by cluster of differentiation (CD) 4 T helper (Th) cells. In particular, Th1 and Th17 cells amplify, whereas T regulatory (Treg) cells moderate inflammation. The role of other Th subsets in MS is not clear. In the present study, we investigated the generation of different Th responses by human dendritic cells (DCs) in MS. We compared the production of several Th cytokines by naive CD4+ T-cells polarized with myeloid and plasmacytoid DCs (mDCs and pDCs) in healthy donors (HD) and relapsing-remitting (RR)-MS patients. We found that resiquimod-stimulated mDCs were able to activate Th17 differentiation, whereas pDCs induced interleukin (IL)-10-producing Th cells. Surprisingly, resiquimod-stimulated pDCs from MS patients also significantly induced the differentiation of Th9 cells, which produce IL-9 and are known to be involved in allergic diseases. We investigated the potential role of IL-9 in MS. We found that IL-9 activated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 and STAT5 phosphorylation and interfered with IL-17 and interferon (IFN) regulatory transcription factor (IRF)-4 expression in Th17-polarized cells. Moreover, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 107 RR-MS patients, IL-9 inversely correlated with indexes of inflammatory activity, neurodegeneration and disability progression of MS. High levels of IL-9 were associated with the absence of IL-17 in the CSF of RR-MS patients. Our results demonstrate a Th9-inducing potential of pDCs in MS, suggesting an immunoregulatory role leading to attenuation of the exaggerated Th17 inflammatory response.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Communication*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism*
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Inflammation Mediators / metabolism*
  • Interferon Regulatory Factors / metabolism
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-9 / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Interleukin-9 / metabolism*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / diagnosis
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / immunology
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / metabolism*
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphorylation
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / classification
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / metabolism*
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence

Substances

  • IL9 protein, human
  • Imidazoles
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Interferon Regulatory Factors
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-9
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor
  • STAT1 protein, human
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor
  • interferon regulatory factor-4
  • resiquimod