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Interfering with interferons: targeting the JAK-STAT pathway in complications of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA).

ABSTRACT: Systemic JIA (SJIA) is distinguished from other forms of JIA by the prevalence of the severe, life-threatening complications macrophage activation syndrome (SJIA-MAS) and lung disease (SJIA-LD). Alternative therapeutics are urgently needed, as disease pathogenesis diverges from what is observed in SJIA, and currently available biologics are insufficient. SJIA-MAS, defined by a cytokine storm and dysregulated proliferation of T-lymphocytes, and SJIA-LD which presents with lymphocytic interstitial inflammation and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, are both thought to be driven by IFNs, in particular the type II IFN-γ. Involvement of IFNs and a possible crosstalk of type I IFNs with existing biologics indicate a distinct role for the JAK-STAT signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of SJIA-MAS and SJIA-LD. Here, we review this role of JAK-STATs and IFNs in SJIA complications and discuss how new insights of ongoing research are shaping future therapeutic advances in the form of JAK inhibitors and antibodies targeting IFNs.

SUBMITTER: Verweyen EL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9123899 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Interfering with interferons: targeting the JAK-STAT pathway in complications of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA).

Verweyen Emely L EL Schulert Grant S GS

Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 20220301 3

Systemic JIA (SJIA) is distinguished from other forms of JIA by the prevalence of the severe, life-threatening complications macrophage activation syndrome (SJIA-MAS) and lung disease (SJIA-LD). Alternative therapeutics are urgently needed, as disease pathogenesis diverges from what is observed in SJIA, and currently available biologics are insufficient. SJIA-MAS, defined by a cytokine storm and dysregulated proliferation of T-lymphocytes, and SJIA-LD which presents with lymphocytic interstitial ...[more]

PMID: 34459891

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Project description:Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a chronic pediatric inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterized by fever, rash, hepatosplenomegaly, serositis, and arthritis. We hypothesized that intercellular communication, mediated by extracellular vesicles, contributes to systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis pathogenesis and that the number and cellular sources of extracellular vesicles would differ between inactive and active states of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and healthy controls. We evaluated plasma from healthy pediatric controls and patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis with active systemic flare or inactive disease. We isolated extracellular vesicles by size exclusion chromatography and determined total extracellular vesicle abundance and size distribution using microfluidic resistive pulse sensing. Cell-specific extracellular vesicle subpopulations were measured by nanoscale flow cytometry. Isolated extracellular vesicles were validated using a variety of ways, including nanotracking and cryo-electron microscopy. Extracellular vesicle protein content was analyzed in pooled samples using mass spectrometry. Total extracellular vesicle concentration did not significantly differ between controls and patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Extracellular vesicles with diameters <200 nm were the most abundant, including the majority of cell-specific extracellular vesicle subpopulations. Patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis had significantly higher levels of extracellular vesicles from activated platelets, intermediate monocytes, and chronically activated endothelial cells, with the latter significantly more elevated in active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis relative to inactive disease and controls. Protein analysis of isolated extracellular vesicles from active patients showed a proinflammatory profile, uniquely expressing heat shock protein 47, a stress-inducible protein. Our findings indicate that multiple cell types contribute to altered extracellular vesicle profiles in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The extracellular vesicle differences between systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis disease states and healthy controls implicate extracellular vesicle-mediated cellular crosstalk as a potential driver of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis disease activity.

Project description:Background: Systemic-Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA) is a rare disease associated with dysregulated interleukin (IL)-1 activity. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of Anakinra, an IL-1 receptor antagonist in SJIA and its effects on gene expression profiling. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. The primary objective was to compare the efficacy of a one-month treatment with anakinra (2 mg/kg subcutaneoulsy daily, maximum 100 mg) to a placebo between 2 groups of 12 SJIA patients each. Response was defined by a 30% improvement of the pediatric American College of Rheumatology criteria for JIA, resolution of systemic symptoms and a decrease of at least 50% of both C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate compared to baseline. An intention-to-treat analyze was performed. After Month 1 (M1), patients taking placebo were switched to Anakinra. Secondary objectives included tolerance and efficacy assessment for 12 months. Results: At M1, concluding the randomized trial, there was a significant difference in the response rate between patients treated with Anakinra (8/12 responders) and placebo (1/12) (p=0.003). The number of adverse events, mainly pain to injections, was similar between both groups. Ten patients from the placebo group switched to Anakinra at M1; nine were responders at M2. Between M1 and M12, six patients stopped treatment for an adverse event (Crohn’s disease, hepatitis), a lack of efficacy or a disease flare (2 cases each). Blood gene expression profiling at enrollment and upon follow-up allowed us to identify one set of dysregulated genes that reverted to normal values in the clinical responders and a second set, including interferon-inducible genes, that was induced by Anakinra. Conclusion: Anakinra is an effective treatment of SJIA. Its effect is associated with normalization of blood gene expression profiles in clinical responders and de novo induction of an interferon signature. (Clinical trials registration number: NCT00339157)

Project description:Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is a chronic childhood arthropathy with features of autoinflammation. Early inflammatory SJIA is associated with expansion and activation of neutrophils with a sepsis-like phenotype, but neutrophil phenotypes present in longstanding and clinically inactive disease (CID) are unknown. The objective of this study was to examine activated neutrophil subsets, S100 alarmin release, and gene expression signatures in children with a spectrum of SJIA disease activity. Methods: Highly-purified neutrophils were isolated using a two-step procedure of density-gradient centrifugation followed by magnetic-bead based negative selection prior to flow cytometry or cell culture to quantify S100 protein release. Whole transcriptome gene expression profiles were compared in neutrophils from children with both active SJIA and CID. Results: Patients with SJIA and active systemic features demonstrated a higher number of CD16+CD62Llo neutrophil population compared to controls. This neutrophil subset was not seen in patients with CID or patients with active arthritis not exhibiting systemic features. Using imaging flow cytometry, CD16+CD62Llo neutrophils from patients with active SJIA and features of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) had increased nuclear hypersegmentation compared to CD16+CD62L+ neutrophils. Serum levels of S100A8/A9 and S100A12 were strongly correlated with peripheral blood neutrophil counts. Neutrophils from active SJIA patients did not show enhanced resting S100 protein release; however, regardless of disease activity, neutrophils from SJIA patients did show enhanced S100A8/A9 release upon PMA stimulation compared to control neutrophils. Furthermore, whole transcriptome analysis of highly purified neutrophils from children with active SJIA identified 214 differentially expressed genes compared to neutrophils from healthy controls. The most significantly upregulated gene pathway was Immune System Process, including AIM2, IL18RAP, and NLRC4. Interestingly, this gene set showed intermediate levels of expression in neutrophils from patients with long-standing CID yet persistent serum IL-18 elevation. Indeed, all patient samples regardless of disease activity demonstrated elevated inflammatory gene expression, including inflammasome components and S100A8. Conclusion: We identify features of neutrophil activation in SJIA patients with active disease and CID, including a proinflammatory gene expression signature, reflecting persistent innate immune activation. Taken together, these studies expand understanding of neutrophil function in chronic autoinflammatory disorders such as SJIA.

Dataset Information

Interfering with interferons: targeting the JAK-STAT pathway in complications of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA).

Publications

Interfering with interferons: targeting the JAK-STAT pathway in complications of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA).

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