MicroRNA-155 drives TH17 immune response and tissue injury in experimental crescentic GN

J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013 Dec;24(12):1955-65. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2013020130. Epub 2013 Aug 15.

Abstract

CD4(+) T cells play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease, including human and experimental crescentic GN. Micro-RNAs (miRs) have emerged as important regulators of immune cell development, but the impact of miRs on the regulation of the CD4(+) T cell immune response remains to be fully clarified. Here, we report that miR-155 expression is upregulated in the kidneys of patients with ANCA-associated crescentic GN and a murine model of crescentic GN (nephrotoxic nephritis). To elucidate the potential role of miR-155 in T cell-mediated inflammation, nephritis was induced in miR-155(-/-) and wild-type mice. The systemic and renal nephritogenic TH17 immune response decreased markedly in nephritic miR-155(-/-) mice. Consistent with this finding, miR-155-deficient mice developed less severe nephritis, with reduced histologic and functional injury. Adoptive transfer of miR-155(-/-) and wild-type CD4(+) T cells into nephritic recombination activating gene 1-deficient (Rag-1(-/-)) mice showed the T cell-intrinsic importance of miR-155 for the stability of pathogenic TH17 immunity. These findings indicate that miR-155 drives the TH17 immune response and tissue injury in experimental crescentic GN and show that miR-155 is a potential therapeutic target in TH17-mediated diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Glomerulonephritis / genetics*
  • Glomerulonephritis / immunology*
  • Glomerulonephritis / pathology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Humoral / immunology
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Congenic
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / immunology*
  • Neutrophils / cytology
  • Neutrophils / immunology
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Th17 Cells / cytology
  • Th17 Cells / immunology*

Substances

  • MIRN155 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn155 microRNA, mouse