Osteopontin is critically involved in rheumatoid arthritis; however, the molecular cross-talk between osteopontin and joint cell components that leads to the inflammatory joint destruction is largely unknown. We found that not only osteopontin but also tenascin-C and their common receptor, α9 integrin, are expressed at arthritic joints. The local production of osteopontin and tenascin-C is mainly due to synovial fibroblasts and, to a lesser extent, synovial macrophages. Synovial fibroblasts and macrophages express α9 integrin, and autocrine and paracrine interactions of α9 integrin on synovial fibroblasts and macrophages and its ligands contribute differently to the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. α9 integrin is also involved in the recruitment and accumulation of inflammatory cells. Inhibition of α9 integrin function with an anti-α9 integrin Ab significantly reduces the production of arthrogenic cytokines and chemokines and ameliorates ongoing arthritis. Thus, we identified α9 integrin as a critical intrinsic regulator that controls the development of autoimmune arthritis.
Osteopontin (OPN) is a T helper type 1 immunoregulatory cytokine that plays a critical role in various inflammatory disorders. OPN exerts proinflammatory reactions through interaction with integrin receptors. OPN function can be modulated by protease digestion. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate OPN function in vivo have not been elucidated. There are two putative heparin-binding domains (HBDs) within the OPN molecule, which may bind both heparin and heparin-like glycosaminoglycans such as syndecan. We show that expression of OPN and syndecan-4 is significantly up-regulated after concanavalin-A (ConA) injection. Syndecan-4 binds to one of the HBDs of OPN, which overlaps with the thrombin cleavage site of OPN. When OPN is associated with syndecan-4, syndecan-4 masks both the thrombin cleavage and the integrin binding sites within OPN. Importantly, syndecan-4–deficient (Syn4KO) mice are more susceptible to hepatic injury, and the thrombin-cleaved form of OPN is significantly elevated in Syn4KO mice as compared with wild-type mice after ConA injection. Finally, we demonstrate that administration of purified syndecan-4 protects mice from ConA-induced hepatic injury. Thus, syndecan-4 is a critical intrinsic regulator of inflammatory reactions via its effects on OPN function and is a potential novel therapeutic tool for treating inflammatory diseases.
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