IL-23 induces regulatory T cell plasticity with implications for inflammatory skin diseases

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 27;9(1):17675. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53240-z.

Abstract

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a major fraction of skin resident T cells. Although normally protective, Tregs have been shown to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in human diseases, including psoriasis. A significant hurdle in the Treg field has been the identification, or development, of model systems to study this Treg plasticity. To overcome this gap, we analyzed skin resident Tregs in a mouse model of IL-23 mediated psoriasiform dermatitis. Our results demonstrate that IL-23 drove the accumulation of Tregs; including a subpopulation that co-expressed RORγt and produced IL-17A. Genesis of this population was attenuated by a RORγt inverse agonist compound and clinically relevant therapeutics. In vitro, IL-23 drove the generation of CD4+Foxp3+RORγt+IL-17A+ cells from Treg cells. Collectively, our data shows that IL-23 drives Treg plasticity by inducing a population of CD4+Foxp3+RORγt+IL-17A+ cells that could play a role in the disease pathogenesis. Through this work, we define an in vitro system and a pre-clinical in vivo mouse model that can be used to further study Treg homeostasis and plasticity in the context of psoriasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Plasticity / drug effects*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dermatitis / metabolism*
  • Dermatitis / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-23 / administration & dosage
  • Interleukin-23 / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / metabolism
  • Psoriasis / chemically induced
  • Psoriasis / metabolism*
  • Psoriasis / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*

Substances

  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Il17a protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-23
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3