[Expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling in peripheral blood monocular cells of patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) mRNA and protein expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.


METHODS
Blood samples were taken from 15 VKH patients with active uveitis, 17 quiescent patients and 16 healthy individuals. IFN-gamma, IL-12 and IL-4 in the serum were measured by ELISA. PBMC were subjected to analysis of SOCS mRNA and protein expression using quantitative RT-PCR and western blot, respectively.


RESULTS
The level of IL-4 in the serum of VKH patients and in controls were (28.40 +/- 5.93) ng/L, (34.5 +/- 9.47) ng/L and (11.25 +/- 4.43) ng/L, IL-12 were (24.33 +/- 8.55) ng/L, (11.53 +/- 6.11) ng/L and (5.19 +/- 2.43) ng/L, IFN-gamma were (18.05 +/- 2.23) ng/L, (15.53 +/- 2.63) ng/L and (1.61 +/- 3.47) ng/L, respectively. The level of IFN-gamma, IL-12 and IL-4 were all significantly higher in the serum of VKH patients than in controls(P < 0.01). IL-4 in quiescent patients was higher than in active patients (P < 0.01), IL-12 and IFN-gamma were lower in quiescent patients was higher than in active patients (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Cytokine inducible SH2 containing protein (CIS) mRNA, SOCS1 mRNA, SOCS2 mRNA, SOCS3 mRNA and SOCS5 mRNA levels in PBMC of VKH patients with active uveitis are 0.72, 4.92, 1.09, 0.75 and 1.15 folds than that in healthy volunteers, respectively. They are 1.15, 2.25, 1.40, 0.69 and 1.16 folds in static patients, respectively. Marked decreased expression of CIS protein is detected in both active and quiescent patients with no significant difference between two groups (both P < 0.01). SOCS1 protein is up-regulated significantly in active patients compares to in quiescent patients nor in healthy volunteers (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). SOCS3 protein is significantly decreased in patients than in controls (both P < 0.05). SOCS5 protein is much higher in patients than in controls (both P < 0.01), and even higher in quiescent patients than in active episode (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Up regulation of SOCS1 and SOCS5 expression and down-regulation of SOCS3 and CIS may correlate with the development of a Th1 mediated immune response in VKH disease. There is insidious inflammation in VKH patients with clinically quiescent uveitis, and this may be one of the causes of persistence and recurrences of uveitis.
Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Lab, Beijing 100730, China.
Yun-Xia
YX
Liu
Hong
H
Wang
Xiao-Yan
XY
Peng
Zeng-Chao
ZC
Zhou
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000071222:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Protein; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D014607:Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D007371:Interferon-gamma; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000071222:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 Protein; D000071223:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein; D050826:Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins; C508598:IL4 protein, human; C108944:SOCS1 protein, human; C106644:SOCS3 protein, human; C408990:SOCS5 protein, human