Interferon-gamma production in Lyme arthritis synovial tissue promotes differentiation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes into immune effector cells.

ABSTRACT: Lyme arthritis (LA), a late disease manifestation of Borrelia burgdorferi infection, usually resolves with antibiotic therapy. However, some patients develop proliferative synovitis lasting months to several years after spirochetal killing, called postinfectious LA. In this study, we phenotyped haematopoietic and stromal cell populations in the synovial lesion ex vivo and used these findings to generate an in vitro model of LA using patient-derived fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Ex vivo analysis of synovial tissue revealed high abundance of IFNγ-producing T cells and NK cells. Similar to marked IFNγ responses in tissue, postinfectious LA synovial fluid also had high levels of IFNγ. HLA-DR-positive FLS were present throughout the synovial lesion, particularly in areas of inflammation.

SUBMITTER: Lochhead RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6336510 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature