Th17 Cells Expressing KIR3DL2+ and Responsive to HLA-B27 Homodimers Are Increased in Ankylosing Spondylitis
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- 15 February 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by The American Association of Immunologists in The Journal of Immunology
- Vol. 186 (4), 2672-2680
- https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1002653
Abstract
CD4 Th cells producing the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 (Th17) have been implicated in a number of inflammatory arthritides including the spondyloarthritides. Th17 development is promoted by IL-23. Ankylosing spondylitis, the most common spondyloarthritis (SpA), is genetically associated with both HLA-B27 (B27) and IL-23R polymorphisms; however, the link remains unexplained. We have previously shown that B27 can form H chain dimers (termed B272), which, unlike classical HLA-B27, bind the killer-cell Ig-like receptor KIR3DL2. In this article, we show that B272-expressing APCs stimulate the survival, proliferation, and IL-17 production of KIR3DL2+ CD4 T cells. KIR3DL2+ CD4 T cells are expanded and enriched for IL-17 production in the blood and synovial fluid of patients with SpA. Despite KIR3DL2+ cells comprising a mean of just 15% of CD4 T in the peripheral blood of SpA patients, this subset accounted for 70% of the observed increase in Th17 numbers in SpA patients compared with control subjects. TCR-stimulated peripheral blood KIR3DL2+ CD4 T cell lines from SpA patients secreted 4-fold more IL-17 than KIR3DL2+ lines from controls or KIR3DL2− CD4 T cells. Strikingly, KIR3DL2+ CD4 T cells account for the majority of peripheral blood CD4 T cell IL-23R expression and produce more IL-17 in the presence of IL-23. Our findings link HLA-B27 with IL-17 production and suggest new therapeutic strategies in ankylosing spondylitis/SpA.Keywords
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