T cell chemokine receptor patterns as pathogenic signatures in autoimmunity

Discov Med. 2015 Feb;19(103):117-25.

Abstract

Autoimmune diseases arise from aberrant activation of immune cells directed against endogenous autoantigens expressed throughout the human body. While the initiating triggers remain poorly understood, the self-perpetuating phase of these diseases is directly linked to the ongoing recruitment of inflammatory cells that traffic to the affected anatomical sites. T lymphocytes are prominent drivers of many autoimmune diseases and the targeted trafficking of these cells to infiltrate the affected organs is often a common denominator. The regulation of T cell trafficking involves the coordinated expression of specific patterns of chemokines and the reciprocal expression of cognate chemokine receptors on T cell membranes. Thereby, chemokines direct the specific trafficking of a wide array of responsive activated immune cells. Specific patterns of chemokine receptor expression can correlate with disease activity in an autoimmune disease, confirming the importance of further characterizing the T cells that infiltrate specific sites of autoimmunity. Herein, we will review our current understanding of the roles of chemokines in two common autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. We also discuss the implications for chemokine receptor signatures in autoimmune pathogenesis, and how these may provide novel targets for therapeutic intervention.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Autoimmunity / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Models, Immunological
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism*

Substances

  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Receptors, Chemokine