Role of innate lymphoid cells in chronic colitis during anti-IL-17A therapy

Sci Rep. 2020 Jan 15;10(1):297. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-57233-w.

Abstract

IL-17A is an important cytokine in intestinal inflammation. However, anti-IL-17A therapy does not improve clinical outcomes in patients with Crohn's disease. We aimed to evaluate the role of RORγt+ innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in murine colitis models in the absence of IL-17A. An acute colitis model was induced with either dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) or trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) and a chronic colitis model was induced by CD4+CD45RBhi T cell transfer from either wild-type C57BL/6 or Il17a-/- mice. An anti-IL-17A antibody, secukinumab, was also used to inhibit IL-17A function in the colitis model. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the population of RORγt+ ILCs in the colonic lamina propria of mice with chronic colitis. Acute intestinal inflammation due to DSS and TNBS was attenuated in IL-17A knockout mice, whereas chronic colitis was not relieved by T cell transfer from Il17a-/- mice (% of original body weight: wild-type mice vs. Il17a-/- mice, 81.9% vs. 82.2%; P = 0.922). However, the mean proportion of Lin-RORγt+ lymphocytes was higher after T cell transfer from Il17a-/- mice than that after T cell transfer from wild-type mice (28.8% vs. 18.5%). The proportion of Lin-RORγt+ was also increased in Rag2-/- mice that received T cell transfer from wild-type mice when anti-IL-17A antibody was administered (31.7%). Additionally, Il6 and Il22 tended to be highly expressed after T cell transfer from Il17a-/- mice. In conclusion, RORγt+ ILCs may have an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic colitis in the absence of IL-17A. Blocking the function of IL-17A may upregulate Il6 and recruit RORγt+ ILCs in chronic colitis, thereby upregulating IL-22 and worsening the clinical outcomes of patients with Crohn's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Colitis / chemically induced
  • Colitis / drug therapy
  • Colitis / immunology
  • Colitis / pathology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / deficiency
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Interleukin-17 / deficiency
  • Interleukin-17 / genetics
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology
  • Interleukin-17 / metabolism*
  • Interleukin-22
  • Interleukin-6 / genetics
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Interleukins / genetics
  • Interleukins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / metabolism
  • Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / toxicity
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-6
  • Interleukins
  • Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3
  • Rag2 protein, mouse
  • Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid
  • secukinumab