A disintegrin and metalloprotease-10 is correlated with disease activity and mediates monocyte migration and adhesion in rheumatoid arthritis

An ADAM10 Exosite Inhibitor Is Efficacious in an In Vivo Collagen-Induced Arthritis Model

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects millions of people worldwide. There are multiple disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs available; however, many patients do not respond to any treatment. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 has been suggested as a potential new target for RA due to its role in the release of multiple pro- and anti-inflammatory factors from cell surfaces. In the present study, we determined the pharmacokinetic parameters and in vivo efficacy of a compound CID3117694 from a novel class of non-zinc-binding inhibitors. Oral bioavailability was demonstrated in the blood and synovial fluid after a 10 mg/kg dose. To test efficacy, we established the collagen-induced arthritis model in mice. CID3117694 was administered orally at 10, 30, and 50 mg/kg/day for 28 days. CID3117694 was able to dose-dependently improve the disease score, decrease RA markers in the blood, and decrease signs of inflammation, hyperplasia, pannus formation, and cartilage erosion in the affected joints compared to the untreated control. Additionally, mice treated with CID 3117694 did not exhibit any clinical signs of distress, suggesting low toxicity. The results of this study suggest that the inhibition of ADAM10 exosite can be a viable therapeutic approach to RA.

Proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles in synovial fluid and plasma from Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis patients reveals novel immunopathogenic biomarkers

Introduction

New early low-invasive biomarkers are demanded for the management of Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (OJIA), the most common chronic pediatric rheumatic disease in Western countries and a leading cause of disability. A deeper understanding of the molecular basis of OJIA pathophysiology is essential for identifying new biomarkers for earlier disease diagnosis and patient stratification and to guide targeted therapeutic intervention. Proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released in biological fluids has recently emerged as a minimally invasive approach to elucidate adult arthritis pathogenic mechanisms and identify new biomarkers. However, EV-prot expression and potential as biomarkers in OJIA have not been explored. This study represents the first detailed longitudinal characterization of the EV-proteome in OJIA patients.

Methods

Fourty-five OJIA patients were recruited at disease onset and followed up for 24 months, and protein expression profiling was carried out by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in EVs isolated from plasma (PL) and synovial fluid (SF) samples.

Results

We first compared the EV-proteome of SF vs paired PL and identified a panel of EV-prots whose expression was significantly deregulated in SF. Interaction network and GO enrichment analyses performed on deregulated EV-prots through STRING database and ShinyGO webserver revealed enrichment in processes related to cartilage/bone metabolism and inflammation, suggesting their role in OJIA pathogenesis and potential value as early molecular indicators of OJIA development. Comparative analysis of the EV-proteome in PL and SF from OJIA patients vs PL from age/gender-matched control children was then carried out. We detected altered expression of a panel of EV-prots able to differentiate new-onset OJIA patients from control children, potentially representing a disease-associated signature measurable at both the systemic and local levels with diagnostic potential. Deregulated EV-prots were significantly associated with biological processes related to innate immunity, antigen processing and presentation, and cytoskeleton organization. Finally, we ran WGCNA on the SF- and PL-derived EV-prot datasets and identified a few EV-prot modules associated with different clinical parameters stratifying OJIA patients in distinct subgroups.

Discussion

These data provide novel mechanistic insights into OJIA pathophysiology and an important contribution in the search of new candidate molecular biomarkers for the disease.

The importance of ADAM10 and ADAM17 metalloproteinases in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by inflammation, hyperproliferation, andneoangiogenesis. The disease pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. ADAM17 and ADAM10 are important proteases serving as regulators of inflammation.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the role of ADAM17 and ADAM10 in the pathogenesis of Psoriasis through the comparison of serum ADAM17 and ADAM10 levels between Psoriasis patients and healthy controls.

METHODS

A total of 179 subjects, including 90 psoriasis patients and 89 healthy controls, were included in the study. Serum ADAM17 and serum ADAM10 levels were measured by the ELISA method for each participant from the patient and control groups. The statistical data analysis was performed using the SPSS 19.0 program. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The mean values for serum ADAM10 and ADAM17 were respectively 3.1±2.2 and 76.5±31.1 in the patient group, whereas 8.6±3.7 and 29.5±22.4 in the control group. A statistically significant difference was detected between the patient and control groups regarding ADAM10 and ADAM17 levels (p=0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the high levels of ADAM17 in Psoriasis patient group, ADAM17 protease might have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, while the low levels of ADAM10 might be attributed to its regulatory effect on keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation.

HDAC3 inhibitor suppresses endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition via modulating inflammatory response in atherosclerosis

A total number of 18 different isoforms of histone deacetylases (HDACs) which were categorized into 4 classes have been identified in human. HDAC3 is categorized as class I HDACs and is closely related to the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. Recent evidence has pointed to endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) as a key process in vascular inflammation in atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the effect of HDAC3 on EndMT in atherosclerosis. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of HDAC3 specific inhibitor on EndMT in ApoE^-/- mice fed a Western diet and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by inflammatory cytokines. Firstly, we found that HDAC3 expression was up-regulated and EndMT occurred in the aortas of ApoE^-/- mice compared with C57BL/6J mice. However, HDAC3 specific inhibitor RGFP966 alleviated atherosclerotic lesions and inhibited EndMT of the atherosclerotic plaque in ApoE^-/- mice. Then, in vitro study showed that inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β co-treatment increased the expression of HDAC3 and induced EndMT in HUVECs. HDAC3 inhibition by siRNA or specific inhibitor RGFP966 suppressed EndMT in HUVECs stimulated with TNF-α and IL-1β. By contrast, HDAC3 overexpression by adenovirus further promoted EndMT of HUVECs. In addition, we found that HDAC3 also regulated the inflammatory response of HUVECs by modulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines and the number of monocytes attached to HUVECs. These above results suggest that HDAC3 inhibitor suppresses EndMT via modulating inflammatory response in ApoE^-/- mice and HUVECs.

Role of ADAM10 and ADAM17 in Regulating CD137 Function

Human CD137 (4-1BB), a member of the TNF receptor family, and its ligand CD137L (4-1BBL), are expressed on immune cells and tumor cells. CD137/CD137L interaction mediates bidirectional cellular responses of potential relevance in inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity and oncology. A soluble form of CD137 exists, elevated levels of which have been reported in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and various malignancies. Soluble CD137 (sCD137) is considered to represent a splice variant of CD137. In this report, however, evidence is presented that A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase (ADAM)10 and potentially also ADAM17 are centrally involved in its generation. Release of sCD137 by transfected cell lines and primary T cells was uniformly inhibitable by ADAM10 inhibition. The shedding function of ADAM10 can be blocked through inhibition of its interaction with surface exposed phosphatidylserine (PS), and this effectively inhibited sCD137 generation. The phospholipid scramblase Anoctamin-6 (ANO6) traffics PS to the outer membrane and thus modifies ADAM10 function. Overexpression of ANO6 increased stimulated shedding, and hyperactive ANO6 led to maximal constitutive shedding of CD137. sCD137 was functionally active and augmented T cell proliferation. Our findings shed new light on the regulation of CD137/CD137L immune responses with potential impact on immunotherapeutic approaches targeting CD137.

Alterations of Extracellular Matrix Components in the Course of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common group of chronic connective tissue diseases in children that is accompanied by joint structure and function disorders. Inflammation underlying the pathogenic changes in JIA, caused by hypersecretion of proinflammatory cytokines, leads to the destruction of articular cartilage. The degradation which progresses with the duration of JIA is not compensated by the extent of repair processes. These disorders are attributed in particular to changes in homeostasis of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, including proteoglycans, that forms articular cartilage. Changes in metabolism of matrix components, associated with the disturbance of their degradation and biosynthesis processes, are the basis of the progressive wear of joint structures observed in the course of JIA. Clinical evaluation and radiographic imaging are current methods to identify the destruction. The aim of this paper is to review enzymatic and non-enzymatic factors involved in catabolism of matrix components and molecules stimulating their biosynthesis. Therefore, we discuss the changes in these factors in body fluids of children with JIA and their potential diagnostic use in the assessment of disease activity. Understanding the changes in ECM components in the course of the child-hood arthritis may provide the introduction of both new diagnostic tools and new therapeutic strategies in children with JIA.

Targeting ADAM10 in Cancer and Autoimmunity

Generating inhibitors for A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10), a zinc-dependent protease, was heavily invested in by the pharmaceutical industry starting over 20 years ago. There has been much enthusiasm in basic research for these inhibitors, with a multitude of studies generating significant data, yet the clinical trials have not replicated the same results. ADAM10 is ubiquitously expressed and cleaves many important substrates such as Notch, PD-L1, EGFR/HER ligands, ICOS-L, TACI, and the "stress related molecules" MIC-A, MIC-B and ULBPs. This review goes through the most recent pre-clinical data with inhibitors as well as clinical data supporting the use of ADAM10 inhibitor use in cancer and autoimmunity. It additionally addresses how ADAM10 inhibitor therapy can be improved and if inhibitor therapy can be paired with other drug treatments to maximize effectiveness in various disease states. Finally, it examines the ADAM10 substrates that are important to each disease state and if any of these substrates or ADAM10 itself is a potential biomarker for disease.

Monocytes in rheumatoid arthritis: Circulating precursors of macrophages and osteoclasts and, their heterogeneity and plasticity role in RA pathogenesis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic, autoimmune and inflammatory disease represented as synovitis, pannus formation, adjacent bone erosions, and joint destruction. The major cells involved in the perpetuation of RA pathogenesis are CD4⁺ T-cells (mainly Th1 cells and Th17 cells), fibroblasts like synoviocytes (FLS), macrophages and B cells. Other autoimmune cells such as dendritic cells, neutrophils, mast cells, and monocytes also contribute to RA pathogenesis. Monocytes are mainly bone marrow (BM) derived cells in the circulation. The chemokine receptors CCR2 and CX3CR1 expressed by monocytes interact with chemokine ligands CCL2 (MCP-1) and CX3CL1 (fractalkine) respectively produced by FLS and this interaction promotes their migration and recruitment into RA synovium. Activated monocytes on their surface exhibit upregulated antigenic expressions such as CD14, CD16, HLA-DR, toll-like receptors (TLRs), and adhesion molecules B1 and B2 integrins. RA monocytes interconnect with other cells in a positive loop manner in the propagation of the rheumatoid process. They skew towards mainly intermediate monocyte subsets (CD14⁺⁺ CD16⁺) which produce proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Moreover, the predominant intermediate monocytes in RA differentiate into M1-macrophages which play a major role in synovial inflammation. Demonstrations suggest monocytes with CD14⁺ and CD16^- expression (classical monocytes?) differentiate to osteoclasts which are the cells responsible for bone erosion in RA synovial joints. Th17 cells induce the production of RANKL by FLS which promotes osteoclastogenesis. Cytokines mainly TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 amplify osteoclastogenesis. Hence, monocytes are the circulating precursors of macrophages and osteoclasts in RA. AIM OF THE REVIEW: To enlighten the identity of monocytes, the antigenic expression on monocyte surface and their cytokines role in RA. We also emphasize about the chemokine receptors expressed by monocytes subsets and chemotaxis of circulating monocytes into RA synovium. Additionally, we review monocytes as the circulating precursors of macrophages and osteoclasts in RA joints and their heterogeneity and plasticity role in RA.

miR‑152 inhibits rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblast proliferation and induces apoptosis by targeting ADAM10

miR‑152 has been reported to be downregulated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the functional significance and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of miR‑152 in RA remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to explore the functional role and the underlying mechanisms of miR‑152 in RA. The expression of miR‑152 in serum, synovial tissues, and fibroblast‑like synoviocytes (FLS) from patients with RA and healthy controls was detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR). Cell proliferation, cell cycle phase distribution and apoptosis of FLS were measured by Cell Counting Kit‑8 and flow cytometry assays. The effects of miR‑152 on the production of pro‑inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and IL‑8, were examined by ELISA. The target gene of miR‑152 was discovered by miRNA‑target prediction bioinformatics analysis, and confirmed by dual‑luciferase reporter assay, RT‑qPCR and western blotting. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between miR‑152 expression and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain‑containing protein 10 (ADAM10). The results demonstrated that miR‑152 expression levels were significantly decreased in RA serum, synovial tissues and RA‑FLS compared with healthy controls. Overexpression of miR‑152 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and decreased TNF‑α, IL‑1β, IL‑6 and IL‑8 production in RA‑FLS cells. Additionally, ADAM10 was demonstrated to be a target of miR‑152, and expression of the two genes was significantly negatively correlated. Of note, restoration of ADAM10 expression partially reversed the effects of miR‑152 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in RA‑FLS. Thus, miR‑152 may serve as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in RA.

ADAM-17 is expressed in the inflammatory myopathy and is involved with interstitial lung disease

The "A disintegrin and metalloprotease" (ADAM) family is thought to play an important role in tissue destruction and inflammatory reactions. ADAM-17 was first described as the protease responsible for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α shedding. Here, we have shown the expression of ADAM-17 in inflammatory myopathy and demonstrated the role of inflammation in interstitial lung diseases (ILD). ADAM-17 in inflammatory myopathy serum [polymyositis (n = 26), dermatomyositis (n = 34), and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (n = 10)] and healthy control (n = 19) was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between ADAM-17 and clinical data was examined. Finally, we performed immunohistological analysis to investigate the expression of ADAM-17 on the muscles of the inflammatory myopathy patients. ADAM-17 in inflammatory myopathy was significantly higher than that in healthy control (mean ± SEM, 1048 ± 312 and 36 ± 18 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.05). ADAM-17 in post-treatment with corticosteroid and/or immunosuppressant serum was significantly decreased compared with that in pre-treatment serum (1465 ± 562 and 1059 ± 503 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.01). ADAM-17 was significantly positively correlated with fractalkine/CX3CL1 and CXCL16. In addition, ADAM-17 in inflammatory myopathy with ILD patients (n = 46) was significantly higher than that in non-ILD patients (n = 24) (1379 ± 454 and 413 ± 226 pg/ml, respectively; p < 0.05). We found the expression of ADAM-17 on muscle biopsy tissue. ADAM-17 is expressed in inflammatory myopathies especially ILD, suggesting that ADAM-17 plays a role in lung fibrosis. ADAM-17 may be a potential target in inflammatory myopathies with ILD.

Monocyte alterations in rheumatoid arthritis are dominated by preterm release from bone marrow and prominent triggering in the joint

OBJECTIVE

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) accompanies infiltration and activation of monocytes in inflamed joints. We investigated dominant alterations of RA monocytes in bone marrow (BM), blood and inflamed joints.

METHODS

CD14⁺ cells from BM and peripheral blood (PB) of patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) were profiled with GeneChip microarrays. Detailed functional analysis was performed with reference transcriptomes of BM precursors, monocyte blood subsets, monocyte activation and mobilisation. Cytometric profiling determined monocyte subsets of CD14⁺⁺CD16^-, CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ and CD14⁺CD16⁺ cells in BM, PB and synovial fluid (SF) and ELISAs quantified the release of activation markers into SF and serum.

RESULTS

Investigation of genes differentially expressed between RA and OA monocytes with reference transcriptomes revealed gene patterns of early myeloid precursors in RA-BM and late myeloid precursors along with reduced terminal differentiation to CD14⁺CD16⁺monocytes in RA-PB. Patterns associated with tumor necrosis factor/lipopolysaccharide (TNF/LPS) stimulation were weak and more pronounced in RA-PB than RA-BM. Cytometric phenotyping of cells in BM, blood and SF disclosed differences related to monocyte subsets and confirmed the reduced frequency of terminally differentiated CD14⁺CD16⁺monocytes in RA-PB. Monocyte activation in SF was characterised by the predominance of CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺⁺CD163⁺HLA-DR⁺ cells and elevated concentrations of sCD14, sCD163 and S100P.

CONCLUSION

Patterns of less mature and less differentiated RA-BM and RA-PB monocytes suggest increased turnover with accelerated monocytopoiesis, BM egress and migration into inflamed joints. Predominant activation in the joint indicates the action of local and primary stimuli, which may also promote adaptive immune triggering through monocytes, potentially leading to new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Endothelial Alterations in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Potential Effect of Monocyte Interaction

Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to develop atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases five times more often than the general population; this increase in frequency could be partially explained by an increase in the macrovasculature endothelial damage. In these autoimmune diseases, a microvascular endothelial injury has also been reported in different organs and tissues, especially in sites where ultrafiltration processes occur. Different components that are characteristic to the immunopathology of RA and SLE could be involved in the endothelial cell activation, permeability increase, functional alteration, and vascular injury. Circulating immune complexes (IC) detected in SLE and RA have been proposed to participate in the endothelial injury. In the vascular environment, IC can generate different responses that could be mediated by monocytes, because these cells have patrolling and monitoring functions on the endothelium. However, with certain stimuli such as TLR ligands, the monocytes are retained in the lumen, releasing proinflammatory mediators that participate in the endothelial damage. This paper aims to review some aspects about the endothelial activation and dysfunction in the context of SLE and RA, as well as the potential role that monocytes apparently play in this process.

Fine Tuning Cell Migration by a Disintegrin and Metalloproteinases

Cell migration is an instrumental process involved in organ development, tissue homeostasis, and various physiological processes and also in numerous pathologies. Both basic cell migration and migration towards chemotactic stimulus consist of changes in cell polarity and cytoskeletal rearrangement, cell detachment from, invasion through, and reattachment to their neighboring cells, and numerous interactions with the extracellular matrix. The different steps of immune cell, tissue cell, or cancer cell migration are tightly coordinated in time and place by growth factors, cytokines/chemokines, adhesion molecules, and receptors for these ligands. This review describes how a disintegrin and metalloproteinases interfere with several steps of cell migration, either by proteolytic cleavage of such molecules or by functions independent of proteolytic activity.