Therapeutic normal IgG intravenous immunoglobulin activates Wnt-β-catenin pathway in dendritic cells

Commun Biol. 2020 Mar 4;3(1):96. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-0825-4.

Abstract

Therapeutic normal IgG intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a well-established first-line immunotherapy for many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Though several mechanisms have been proposed for the anti-inflammatory actions of IVIG, associated signaling pathways are not well studied. As β-catenin, the central component of the canonical Wnt pathway, plays an important role in imparting tolerogenic properties to dendritic cells (DCs) and in reducing inflammation, we explored whether IVIG induces the β-catenin pathway to exert anti-inflammatory effects. We show that IVIG in an IgG-sialylation independent manner activates β-catenin in human DCs along with upregulation of Wnt5a secretion. Mechanistically, β-catenin activation by IVIG requires intact IgG and LRP5/6 co-receptors, but FcγRIIA and Syk are not implicated. Despite induction of β-catenin, this pathway is dispensable for anti-inflammatory actions of IVIG in vitro and for mediating the protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in vivo in mice, and reciprocal regulation of effector Th17/Th1 and regulatory T cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / metabolism
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / pharmacology*
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism
  • Th17 Cells / drug effects
  • Th17 Cells / immunology
  • Th17 Cells / metabolism
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / drug effects
  • beta Catenin / drug effects
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • beta Catenin