Anti-interleukin-15 prevents arthritis in Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected mice.
We showed previously that interleukin-17 (IL-17) plays a significant role in the induction of arthritis associated with Borrelia vaccination and challenge. Little information, however, is available about the chain of immunologic events that leads to the release of IL-17. The production of IL-17 has been linked to stimulation of memory cells by IL-15. Therefore, we hypothesized that IL-15 is involved in the induction of arthritis associated with Borrelia vaccination and infection of mice. Here we present evidence that treatment of Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected mice with anti-IL-15 antibody prevents swelling of the hind paws. More importantly, both anti-IL-15 antibody- and recombinant IL-15 receptor alpha-treated Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected mice were free of major histopathologic indications of arthritis, including hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and vilus formation of the synovium. Similarly, the synovial space and perisynovium were free of inflammatory cells. By contrast, the synovium of nontreated Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected mice had overt hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and vilus formation. Moreover, the synovial space and perisynovium were infiltrated with neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Finally, we show that recombinant IL-15 stimulates the release of IL-17 from lymph node cells obtained near the arthritic site. These results suggest that IL-15 plays a major role in orchestrating IL-17 induction of arthritis associated with Borrelia-vaccinated and -infected mice.
University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Department of bacteriology, 465 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Corey A
CA
Amlong
Dean T
DT
Nardelli
Sara Heil
SH
Peterson
Thomas F
TF
Warner
Steven M
SM
Callister
Ronald F
RF
Schell
D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001898:Borrelia / Q000276:immunology*; D001899:Borrelia Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; C508025:Il15ra protein, mouse; D019409:Interleukin-15; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma