The role of IL-33/ST2 pathway in antitumor immunity is unclear. Using 4T1 breast cancer model we demonstrate timedependent increase of endogenous IL-33 at both the mRNA and protein levels in primary tumors and metastatic lungs during cancer progression. Administration of IL-33 accelerated tumor growth and development of lung and liver metastases, which was associated with increased intratumoral accumulation of CD11b 1 Gr-1 1 TGF-b1 1 myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that expressed IL-13a1R, IL-13-producing Lin 2 Sca-1 1 ST2 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and CD4 1 Foxp3 1 ST2 1 IL-10 1 Tregs compared to untreated mice. Higher incidence of monocytic vs. granulocytic MDSCs and plasmocytoid vs. conventional dendritic cells (DCs) was present in mammary tumors of IL-33-treated mice. Intratumoral NKp46 1 NKG2D 1 and NKp46 1 FasL 1 cells were markedly reduced after IL-33 treatment, while phosphate-buffered saline-treated ST2-deficient mice had increased frequencies of these tumoricidal natural killer (NK) cells compared to untreated wild-type mice. IL-33 promoted intratumoral cell proliferation and neovascularization, which was attenuated in the absence of ST2. Tumor-bearing mice given IL-33 had increased percentages of splenic MDSCs, Lin 2 Sca-1 1 ILCs, IL-10-expressing CD11c 1 DCs and alternatively activated M2 macrophages and higher circulating levels of IL-10 and IL-13. A significantly reduced NK cell, but not CD8 1 T-cell cytotoxicity in IL-33-treated mice was observed and the mammary tumor progression was not affected when CD8 1 T cells were in vivo depleted. We show a previously unrecognized role for IL-33 in promoting breast cancer progression through increased intratumoral accumulation of immunosuppressive cells and by diminishing innate antitumor immunity. Therefore, IL-33 may be considered as an important mediator in the regulation of breast cancer progression.Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a member of the IL-1 family, is a multifunctional cytokine released upon necrotic cell death, which secretion can also be induced in live cells under biomechanical stress conditions. 1 IL-33 is primarily expressed in nonhematopoietic cells including fibroblasts, epithelial cells and endothelial cells, but is also present in cells of hematopoietic origin, particularly in macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). 2,3 IL-33 regulates innate and acquired immunity 3-6 through binding to membrane-bound ST2 molecule (ST2L) of the IL-33R complex expressed on murine and human Th2 cells, mast cells, natural killer (NK) cells, myeloid cells and DCs. 3,7 IL-33 promotes Th2 immune response 2,3 and polarization of alternatively activated M2 macrophages. 8 Newly identified Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) produce large amounts of IL-5 and IL-13 in response to IL-33 in the intestine, 9 adipose tissue 10 and lungs. 11 However, IL-33 could activate Th1, NK, NKT and CD8 1 T cells under certain pathophysiological conditions. IL-33 has a dual role in inflammatory disorders; it has protective effects in obesity, atherosclerosis and experiment...

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines, binds to its plasma membrane receptor, heterodimeric complex consisted of membrane-bound ST2L and IL-1R accessory protein, inducing NFkB and MAPK activation. IL-33 exists as a nuclear precursor and may act as an alarmin, when it is released after cell damage or as negative regulator of NFκB gene transcription, when acts in an intracrine manner. ST2L is expressed on several immune cells: Th2 lymphocytes, NK, NKT and mast cells and on cells of myeloid lineage: monocytes, dendritic cells and granulocytes. IL-33/ST2 axis can promote both Th1 and Th2 immune responses depending on the type of activated cell and microenvironment and cytokine network in damaged tissue. We previously described and discuss here the important role of IL-33/ST2 axis in experimental models of type 1 diabetes, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, fulminant hepatitis and breast cancer. We found that ST2 deletion enhance the development of T cell-mediated autoimmune disorders, EAE and diabetes mellitus type I. Disease development was accompanied by dominantly Th1/Th17 immune response but also higher IL-33 production, which suggest that IL-33 in receptor independent manner could promote the development of inflammatory autoreactive T cells. IL-33/ST2 axis has protective role in Con A hepatitis. ST2-deficient mice had more severe hepatitis with higher influx of inflammatory cells in liver and dominant Th1/Th17 systemic response. Pretreatment of mice with IL-33 prevented Con A-induced liver damage through prevention of apoptosis of hepatocytes and Th2 amplification. Deletion of IL-33/ST2 axis enhances cytotoxicity of NK cells, production of IFN-γ in these cells and systemic production of IFN-γ, IL-17 and TNF-α, which leads to attenuated tumor growth. IL-33 treatment of tumor-bearing mice suppresses activity of NK cells, dendritic cell maturation and enhances alternative activation of macrophages. In conclusion, we observed that IL-33 has attenuated anti-inflammatory effects in T cell-mediated responses and that both IL-33 and ST2 could be further explored as potential therapeutic targets in treatment of immune-mediated diseases.

Obesity-induced diabetes is associated with low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue and macrophage infiltration of islets. We show that ablation of galectin-3 (Gal-3), a galactoside-binding lectin, accelerates high-fat diet–induced obesity and diabetes. Obese LGALS3−/− mice have increased body weight, amount of total visceral adipose tissue (VAT), fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and markers of systemic inflammation compared with diet-matched wild-type (WT) animals. VAT of obese LGALS3−/− mice exhibited increased incidence of type 1 T and NKT lymphocytes and proinflammatory CD11c+CD11b+ macrophages and decreased CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages. Pronounced mononuclear cell infiltrate, increased expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in macrophages, and increased accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and receptor for AGE (RAGE) expression were present in pancreatic islets of obese LGALS3−/− animals accompanied with elevated phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and mature caspase-1 protein expression in pancreatic tissue and VAT. In vitro stimulation of LGALS3−/− peritoneal macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and saturated fatty acid palmitate caused increased caspase-1–dependent IL-1β production and increased phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 compared with WT cells. Transfection of LGALS3−/− macrophages with NLRP3 small interfering RNA attenuated IL-1β production in response to palmitate and LPS plus palmitate. Obtained results suggest important protective roles for Gal-3 in obesity-induced inflammation and diabetes.

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We used concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury to study the role of galectin-3 (Gal-3) in the induction of inflammatory pathology and hepatocellular damage. We tested susceptibility to Con A-induced hepatitis in galectin-3-deficient (Gal-3 2/2 ) mice and analyzed the effects of pretreatment with a selective inhibitor of Gal-3 (TD139) in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice, as evaluated by a liver enzyme test, quantitative histology, mononuclear cell (MNC) infiltration, cytokine production, intracellular staining of immune cells, and percentage of apoptotic MNCs in the liver. Gal-3 2/2 mice were less sensitive to Con A-induced hepatitis and had a significantly lower number of activated lymphoid and dendritic cells (DCs) in the liver. The level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), interferon gamma (IFNc), and interleukin (IL)-17 and -4 in the sera and the number of TNFa-, IFNc-, and IL-17-and -4-producing cluster of differentiation (CD)4 1 cells as well as IL-12-producing CD11c 1 DCs were lower, whereas the number of IL-10-producing CD4 1 T cells and F4/80 1 macrophages were significantly higher in livers of Gal-3 2/2 mice. Significantly higher percentages of late apoptotic Annexin V 1 propidium-idodide 1 liver-infiltrating MNCs and splenocytes were observed in Gal-3 2/2 mice, compared to WT mice. Pretreatment of WT C57BL/6 mice with TD139 led to the attenuation of liver injury and milder infiltration of IFNc-and IL-17-and -4-producing CD4 1 T cells, as well as an increase in the total number of IL-10-producing CD41 T cells and F4/80 1 CD206 1 alternatively activated macrophages and prevented the apoptosis of liver-infiltrating MNCs. Conclusions: Gal-3 plays an important proinflammatory role in Con A-induced hepatitis by promoting the activation of T lymphocytes and natural killer T cells, maturation of DCs, secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, down-regulation of M2 macrophage polarization, and apoptosis of MNCs in the liver. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;55:1954-1964

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum (S) and synovial fluid (SF) interleukin (IL)-18, IL-15, IL-12 and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) measurements in relation to laboratory and clinical measures of disease activity of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Sixty-four patients with RA and 25 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) were included in this study. RA activity was determined using the Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28 index. Concentrations of IL-18, IL-15, IL-12 and TNF-alpha were measured by ELISA. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were also determined. Cross-sectional correlations between S and SF levels of cytokines and values of DAS 28 index were calculated. The results have shown that IL-18, IL-15, IL-12 and TNF-alpha levels in S and SF of patients with RA were significantly higher than the levels obtain from patients with OA (p<0.01). Significantly higher levels of IL-18, IL-15 and TNF-alpha were found in the SF compared to the S of patients with RA (p<0.01). Significantly higher S and SF levels of all four cytokines and serum CRP values were found in RA patients with high disease activity (DAS 28>5.1) compared to those with mild (DAS 28>3.2) and low disease activity (DAS 28>2.6) (p<0.01). Serum and SF concentrations of all four cytokines positively correlated with DAS 28 index values, i.e., disease activity. A poor correlation was found for S and SF IL-12 whereas the highest coefficient of correlation was found for SF IL-18 (r=0.879, p<0.01), and SF TNF-alpha (r=0.827, p<0.01) and disease activity in this study. Strong correlation was found between SF TNF-alpha and SF IL-18 levels (r=0.732, p<0.01). In conclusion, SF IL-18 and TNF-alpha levels in RA patients are good indicators of disease activity. The results obtained support the use of the DAS in clinical practice as a reliable method in assessing disease activity in RA patients.

We demonstrate the high diagnostic value of a novel US score for parenchymal inhomogeneity (0-12) that could serve as a useful single US criterion in the evaluation of salivary gland involvement in primary SS.

We show high diagnostic accuracy of a novel US scoring system of salivary glands (0-48) in patients with primary SS comparable to invasive methods, i.e., scintigraphy and salivary gland biopsy.