Decreased IL-10 production by psoriatic peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with streptococcal superantigen.
The strong association of acute guttate psoriasis and streptococcal throat infection has suggested a role for streptococcal antigens in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We have reported that psoriatic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) showed significantly lower responses to cytoplasmic membrane-associated protein (CAP) isolated from group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, a kind of streptococcal superantigen. The objectives were to evaluate the abnormal cytokine production by psoriatic PBMCs to streptococcal superantigen, CAP. We compared the production of four different cytokines, i.e. IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IFN-gamma, by PBMCs between psoriatic patients and healthy controls after stimulation with CAP or two different staphylococcal superantigens, staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) or E (SEE). When PBMCs were stimulated with CAP, the production of IL-10 was significantly lower by psoriatic PBMCs than by those from healthy controls, whereas those of IL-4, IL-5, or IFN-gamma were not different between the two groups. Such a significant decrease in IL-10 production by psoriatic PBMCs was not observed when they were stimulated with staphylococcal superantigens. Flow cytometric analysis of intracytoplasmic IL-10 demonstrated defective IL-10 production by psoriatic PBMCs in both CD3+ T cells and CD14+ monocytes. There was a significant positive correlation between IFN-gamma production by PBMCs and the proliferation of Vbeta8+ T cells preferentially stimulated by CAP. These data demonstrating the defective IL-10 production by psoriatic PBMCs stimulated with streptococcal superantigen seem to explain why only psoriatic patients evolve sustained and Th-1 deviated skin lesions after streptococcal upper respiratory infection.
Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. aiba@mail.cc.tohoku.ac.jp
Setsuya
S
Aiba
Zia
Z
Uddin
Satoshi
S
Nakagawa
Syunji
S
Sugawara
Hidemi
H
Rikiishi
Katsuo
K
Kumagai
Hachiro
H
Tagami
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002455:Cell Division; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018089:Superantigens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D016207:Cytokines; D018089:Superantigens; D016753:Interleukin-10