title: Mesenchymal stem cells promote CD206 expression and phagocytic activity of macrophages through IL-6 in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) show therapeutic effects on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Deficiency in functional polarization and phagocytosis in macrophages has been suggested in the pathogenesis of SLE. We found that macrophages from B6.MRL-Fas(lpr) mice exhibited lower level of CD206, the marker for alternatively activated macrophage (AAM, also called M2). In addition, the phagocytic activity of B6.MRL-Fas(lpr) macrophages was also decreased. UCMSC transplantation improved the proportion of CD206(+) macrophages and their phagocytic activity in B6.MRL-Fas(lpr) mice. Importantly, macrophages from SLE patients also showed lower expression of CD206 and reduced phagocytic activity, which were corrected by being co-cultured with UCMSCs in vitro and in SLE patients receiving UCMSC transplantation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that IL-6 was required for the up-regulation of CD206 expression and phagocytic activity of UCMSC-treated SLE macrophages. Our results indicate that UCMSCs alleviate SLE through promoting CD206 expression and phagocytic activity of macrophages in an IL-6 dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Zhuoya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Saisai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Genhong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Xuebing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2190, USA.
authors.forename: WanJun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China. Electronic address: lingyunsun@nju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lingyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D000090323:Mannose Receptor; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019463:Mice, Inbred MRL lpr; D008875:Middle Aged; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D000090323:Mannose Receptor; D037241:Mannose-Binding Lectins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1
keywords: IL-6; Macrophage; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells