Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting 1% of the population. Monocytes play a critical role in the pathogenesis of RA because they produce proimflammatory cytokines to induce tissue damage up activation. It was thought that blocking monocyte recruitment to the joints would benefit to RA patients. However, blockade of CCR2, a chemokine receptor for monocyte trafficking, failed both clinically and experimentally. This suggests that monocytes may represent multiple populations with opposing immunologic properties. Two monocyte subsets (Ly6Clow and Ly6Chigh) have been identified in both mouse and human. Ly6Chigh monocytes express CCR2 whereas Ly6Clow monocytes do not. We have shown that CCR2-deficient mice do not have Ly6Chigh monocytes in the peripheral and these mice develop exacerbated collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), an experimental model of RA. We further show evidence that collagen-immunized CCR2- deficient mice have increased Th17 cells in both the lymph nodes and the arthritic joints, which also contain abundant neutrophils and Ly6Clow monocytes. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the two monocyte subsets have different function in CIA: Ly6Clow monocytes promote disease by enhancing the recruitment of Th17 cells and neutrophils while Ly6Chigh monocytes suppress Th17 cell differentiation and inhibit disease. We will investigate this hypothesis by combined in vitro and in vivo approaches including isolating monocyte subsets from GFP- or RFP- reporter mice, de novo differentiations of Th17 cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), transendothelial migration assays, in vitro differentiation of monocyte from bone marrow progenitors, and induction of acute and chronic autoimmune arthritis. We believe that defining differential functions of monocyte subsets to promote or inhibi tissue inflammation will advance understanding of pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases, contributing toward better strategies for immune cell manipulation.

Public Health Relevance

This proposal intends to study the mechanisms by which monocyte subsets regulate autoimmune inflammation. In particular, we will identify monocyte subsets that differentially regulate autoimmune arthritis expression by either promoting or suppressing the generation or recruitment of effector cells, such as Th17 cells and neutrophils.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AR063132-04
Application #
8900763
Study Section
Arthritis, Connective Tissue and Skin Study Section (ACTS)
Program Officer
Mao, Su-Yau
Project Start
2012-08-01
Project End
2016-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2016-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
608195277
City
Chapel Hill
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27599
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Pietrosimone, K M; Jin, M; Poston, B et al. (2015) Collagen-Induced Arthritis: A model for Murine Autoimmune Arthritis. Bio Protoc 5:
Crook, Kristen R; Jin, Mengyao; Weeks, Michael F et al. (2015) Myeloid-derived suppressor cells regulate T cell and B cell responses during autoimmune disease. J Leukoc Biol 97:573-82
Crook, Kristen R; Liu, Peng (2014) Role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in autoimmune disease. World J Immunol 4:26-33
Giguère, Patrick M; Billard, Matthew J; Laroche, Geneviève et al. (2013) G-protein signaling modulator-3, a gene linked to autoimmune diseases, regulates monocyte function and its deficiency protects from inflammatory arthritis. Mol Immunol 54:193-8