Modulation of established murine collagen-induced arthritis by a single inoculation of short-term lipopolysaccharide-stimulated dendritic cells.
BACKGROUND
The use of regulatory or immature dendritic cells (DCs) as tools for modulating experimental rheumatoid arthritis is very recent. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-stimulated DCs have been shown to restore tolerance in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).


OBJECTIVE
We investigated the capacity of short-term lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated DCs pulsed with type II collagen (CII) to induce tolerance against established CIA.


METHODS
Bone marrow-derived DCs were generated in the presence of granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). After CIA induction, mice were injected at day 35 with a single dose of 4- or 24-h LPS-stimulated DCs that had been loaded with CII (4hLPS/CII/DCs or 24hLPS/CII/DCs). Arthritis progression was monitored by clinical and histological evaluations.


RESULTS
Flow cytometry of 4hLPS/CII/DCs showed intermediate CD40 and CD86 expression, lower than that of 24hLPS/CII/DCs (fully mature) and higher than that of CII/DCs (immature). A functional assay showed that 4hLPS/CII/DCs display increased endocytosis ability with respect to 24hLPS/CII/DCs, indicating a semimature state. The single inoculation of 4hLPS/CII/DCs in mice with established CIA reduced disease severity significantly over time. Histological evaluation of mice treated with 4hLPS/CII/DCs revealed diminished inflammatory synovitis, cartilage damage and fibrosis. Co-cultures of DCs with splenocytes from CIA mice showed that collagen-specific interferon (IFN)gamma production was dramatically inhibited by 4hLPS/CII/DCs. 4hLPS/CII/DCs were high IL10 producers, which could explain the inhibition of arthritis progression in mice receiving this treatment because neither antibodies nor regulatory CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T lymphocytes were demonstrated to be involved.


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term LPS-modulated DCs inoculation interferes with CIA progression when loaded with CII.
Programa Disciplinario de Inmunología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
L
L
Salazar
O
O
Aravena
P
P
Abello
A
A
Escobar
J
J
Contreras-Levicoy
N
N
Rojas-Colonelli
D
D
Catalán
A
A
Aguirre
R
R
Zúñiga
B
B
Pesce
C
C
González
R
R
Cepeda
M
M
Cuchacovich
M C
MC
Molina
F
F
Salazar-Onfray
M
M
Delgado
R E
RE
Toes
J C
JC
Aguillón
D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D018450:Disease Progression; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D024043:Collagen Type II; D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D007371:Interferon-gamma