IL-10-deficient B10.Q mice develop more severe collagen-induced arthritis, but are protected from arthritis induced with anti-type II collagen antibodies.
IL-10 is a pleiotropic cytokine with stimulatory and inhibitory properties, and is thought to have a protective role in rheumatoid arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). In this study, we investigated how IL-10 deficiency affects CIA and anti-collagen type II (CII) Ab-transferred arthritis in C57BL/10.Q (B10.Q) mice. The B10.Q.IL-10(-/-) mice had an 8-cM 129/Ola fragment around the IL-10 gene. The mice were treated with antibiotics, appeared healthy, and had no colitis. T cells from IL-10(-/-) mice expressed similar levels of IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-4 after mitogen stimulation; however, macrophages showed a reduced TNF-alpha production compared with IL-10(+/-) littermates. IL-10(-/-) mice had an increased incidence, and a more severe CIA disease than the IL-10(+/-) littermates. To study the role of IL-10 in T cell tolerance, IL-10(-/-) were crossed into mice carrying the immunodominant epitope, CII(256-270), in cartilage (MMC) or in skin (TSC). Both IL-10(-/-) and IL-10(+/-) MMC and TSC mice were completely tolerized against CIA, indicating that lack of IL-10 in this context did not break tolerance. To investigate whether IL-10 was important in the effector phase of CIA, arthritis was induced with anti-CII Abs. Surprisingly, IL-10(-/-) were less susceptible to Ab-transferred arthritis, as only 30% showed signs of disease compared with 90% of the littermates. Therefore, IL-10 seemed to have a protective role in CIA, but seemed to exacerbate the arthritogenicity of anti-CII Abs. These data emphasize the importance of studying IL-10 in a defined genetic context in vivo, to understand its role in a complex disease like arthritis.
Johansson AC
Section for Medical Inflammation Research, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden. Asa.Johansson@inflam.lu.se
Hansson
A S
AS
Nandakumar
K S
KS
Bäcklund
J
J
Holmdahl
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity*; D001168:Arthritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005838:Genotype; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D024043:Collagen Type II; D016207:Cytokines; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10