IL-17 Enhances Chemotaxis of Primary Human B Cells during Asthma

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 10;9(12):e114604. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114604. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

IL-17 is a pro-inflammatory mediator that is believed to play a critical role in regulating tissue inflammation during asthma, COPD, as well as other inflammatory disorders. The level of expression of IL-17 has been shown to be upregulated in lung bronchial tissue of asthmatic patients. Several reports have provided further evidence that this cytokine could play a key role in enhancing the migration of inflammatory as well as structural cells of the bronchial lung tissue during asthma and COPD. B cell infiltration to sites of inflammation during inflammatory disorders such as bowel disease, asthma and COPD has been reported. Accordingly, in this study we hypothesized that IL-17 may exert a chemotactic effect on primary B cells during asthma. We observed that B cells from asthmatic patients expressed significantly higher levels of IL-17RA and IL-17RC, compared to those of healthy subjects. Using an in-vitro migration assay, B cells were shown to migrate towards both IL-17A and IL-17F. Interestingly, blocking IL-17A and IL-17F signaling using either anti-IL-17R antibodies or MAP kinase inhibitors prevented in vitro migration of B cell towards IL-17. These observations indicate a direct chemotactic effect of IL-17 cytokines on primary peripheral blood B cells with higher effect being on asthmatic B cells. These findings revealed a key role for IL-17 in enhancing the migration of B cells to the lung tissue during asthma or COPD.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asthma / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Bronchi / immunology
  • Chemokine CXCL13 / immunology
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Interleukin-17 / immunology*
  • Interleukin-8 / immunology
  • Male
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / immunology*
  • Pyridines / pharmacology
  • Receptors, Interleukin / immunology
  • Receptors, Interleukin-17 / immunology
  • Receptors, Interleukin-17 / metabolism
  • Th17 Cells / immunology
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • CXCL13 protein, human
  • CXCL8 protein, human
  • Chemokine CXCL13
  • IL17A protein, human
  • IL17F protein, human
  • IL17RA protein, human
  • IL17RC protein, human
  • Imidazoles
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-8
  • Pyridines
  • Receptors, Interleukin
  • Receptors, Interleukin-17
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • SB 203580

Grants and funding

This work was funded by a grant from the National Plan for Science and Technology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (grant number 10-MED1224-02). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.