Ospelt C, Mertens JC, Jüngel A, Brentano F, Maciejewska-Rodriguez H, Huber LC, Hemmatazad H, Wüest T, Knuth A, Gay RE, Michel BA, Gay S, Renner C, Bauer S. Inhibition of fibroblast activation protein and dipeptidylpeptidase 4 increases cartilage invasion by rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts.
ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010;
62:1224-35. [PMID:
20155839 DOI:
10.1002/art.27395]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Since fibroblasts in the synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) express the serine proteases fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and dipeptidylpeptidase 4 (DPP-4)/CD26, we undertook the current study to determine the functional role of both enzymes in the invasion of RA synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) into articular cartilage.
METHODS
Expression of FAP and DPP-4/CD26 by RASFs was analyzed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and immunocytochemistry. Serine protease activity was measured by cleavage of fluorogenic substrates and inhibited upon treatment with L-glutamyl L-boroproline. The induction and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in RASFs were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Densitometric measurements of MMPs using immunoblotting confirmed our findings on the messenger RNA level. Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1 [CXCL12]), MMP-1, and MMP-3 protein levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The impact of FAP and DPP-4/CD26 inhibition on the invasiveness of RASFs was analyzed in the SCID mouse coimplantation model of RA using immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
Inhibition of serine protease activity of FAP and DPP-4/CD26 in vitro led to increased levels of SDF-1 in concert with MMP-1 and MMP-3, which are downstream effectors of SDF-1 signaling. Using the SCID mouse coimplantation model, inhibition of enzymatic activity in vivo significantly promoted invasion of xenotransplanted RASFs into cotransplanted human cartilage. Zones of cartilage resorption were infiltrated by FAP-expressing RASFs and marked by a significantly higher accumulation of MMP-1 and MMP-3, when compared with controls.
CONCLUSION
Our results indicate a central role for the serine protease activity of FAP and DPP-4/CD26 in protecting articular cartilage against invasion by synovial fibroblasts in RA.
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