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Lindrova I, Kolackova M, Svadlakova T, Vankova R, Chmelarova M, Rosecka M, Jozifkova E, Sembera M, Krejsek J, Slezak R. Unsolved mystery of Fas: mononuclear cells may have trouble dying in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. BMC Immunol 2023; 24:12. [PMID: 37353767 PMCID: PMC10288785 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-023-00544-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with Sjögren's syndrome, like other patients with autoimmune disorders, display dysregulation in the function of their immune system. Fas and Fas Ligand (FasL) are among the dysregulated proteins. METHODS We studied Fas and FasL on IL-2Rα+ cells and in serum of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (n = 16) and healthy individuals (n = 16); both from same ethnic and geographical background. We used flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent for this purpose. We also measured the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and percentage of apoptotic and dead cells using Annexin V and 7-AAD staining in lymphocytes. RESULTS FasL was increased in patients' T and B cells while Fas was increased in patients' monocytes, T and B cells. No signs of increased apoptosis were found. sFas and sFasL in patients' serum were increased, although the increase in sFasL was not significant. We suspect an effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy on B cells, explaining the decrease of the percentage Fas+ B cells found within our samples. In healthy individuals, there was a noticeable pattern in the expression of FasL which mutually correlated to populations of mononuclear cells; this correlation was absent in the patients with Sjögren's syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Mononuclear cells expressing IL-2Rα+ had upregulated Fas in Sjögren's syndrome. However, the rate of apoptosis based on Annexin V staining and the Bcl-2/Bax expression was not observed in mononuclear cells. We suspect a functional role of abnormal levels of Fas and FasL which has not been cleared yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Lindrova
- Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University and University Hospital, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Kolackova
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University, Simkova 870, 500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Svadlakova
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University, Simkova 870, 500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Vankova
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University, Simkova 870, 500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Chmelarova
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Rosecka
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University, Simkova 870, 500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Jozifkova
- Department of Biology, Jan Evangelista Purkyne University, Za Valcovnou 1000/8, 400 96, Usti and Labem, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Sembera
- Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University and University Hospital, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Krejsek
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University, Simkova 870, 500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Radovan Slezak
- Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University and University Hospital, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
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Abstract
The use of cytokines from the IL-2 family (also called the common γ chain cytokine family) such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21 to activate the immune system of cancer patients is one of the most important areas of current cancer immunotherapy research. The infusion of IL-2 at low or high doses for multiple cycles in patients with metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma was the first successful immunotherapy for cancer proving that the immune system could completely eradicate tumor cells under certain conditions. The initial clinical success observed in some IL-2-treated patients encouraged further efforts focused on developing and improving the application of other IL-2 family cytokines (IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21) that have unique biological effects playing important roles in the development, proliferation, and function of specific subsets of lymphocytes at different stages of differentiation with some overlapping effects with IL-2. IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21, as well as mutant forms or variants of IL-2, are now also being actively pursued in the clinic with some measured early successes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the biology of the IL-2 cytokine family focusing on IL-2, IL-15 and IL-21. We discuss the similarities and differences between the signaling pathways mediated by these cytokines and their immunomodulatory effects on different subsets of immune cells. Current clinical application of IL-2, IL-15 and IL-21 either as single agents or in combination with other biological agents and the limitation and potential drawbacks of these cytokines for cancer immunotherapy are also described. Lastly, we discuss the future direction of research on these cytokines, such as the development of new cytokine mutants and variants for improving cytokine-based immunotherapy through differential binding to specific receptor subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geok Choo Sim
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Laszlo Radvanyi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Lion Biotechnologies, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, USA.
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