Op0054 new Role for Proteinase 3 in Il-16 Bioactivity Control in Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis

Abstract

Background:The immunomodulatory cytokine IL-16 is increased in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases1. IL-16 recruits and activates CD4+ immune cells such as T cells, dendritic cells, or monocytes. IL-16 is produced by various immune and non-immune cells, but synthesis and storage of IL-16 is regulated differentially depending on the cell type and stimulation. For its biological activity, IL-16 cleavage by caspase-3 is required1. Necrotizing granulomatous inflammation is a hallmark of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) with neutrophil dysregulation as a central driver of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity2. Earlier studies showed a correlation between increased serum IL-16 and disease parameters in AAV, including GPA3, but functional evidence for a direct link between IL-16 and neutrophils in granulomatous inflammation is missing so far.Objectives:In this study we aim to identify a functional link between increased IL-16, neutrophils, and the autoantigen proteinase 3 (PR3) with regard to chronic inflammation and autoimmunity in GPA.Methods:IL-16 was measured in sera of GPA patients (n = 40) and healthy controls (HC, n = 50) by ELISA and correlated with clinical features, such as disease activity (BVAS), creatinine, GFR, VDI and PR3-ANCA status. IL-16 protein expression was analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) from GPA patients and HC (n = 5, each) by SDS-PAGE and western blot. Binding affinity of recombinant pro-IL-16 to native human PR3 was assessed by microscale thermophoresis. Cleavage of pro-IL-16 by active human PR3 was performed at various time points at 37°C. Cleavage products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and western blot.Results:Circulating IL-16 was significantly increased in GPA patients compared to HC. Elevated IL-16 positively correlated with BVAS, creatinine, VDI and PR3-ANCA status and negatively correlated with GFR. In PMBC and PMN from GPA and HC we identified different expression patters of precursor and active forms of IL-16. In healthy PBMC we found high amounts of precursor (80kD), pro-IL-16 (55kD) and active IL-16 (17kD). In contrast, PBMC from GPA patients had lower amounts of pro-IL-16 and no active IL-16, indicating activation and secretion of IL-16 due to inflammatory stimulation, as shown earlier5. In GPA PMN we detected no precursor IL-16, but pro-IL-16 and its active form, in contrast to very low amounts of all IL-16 forms in healthy PMN. Processing and release of IL-16 in neutrophils has been linked to apoptosis and secondary necrosis5. By interaction studies we demonstrated direct binding of pro-IL-16 to PR3 with a Kd of 10 nM. In a subsequent cleavage assay we confirmed IL-16 processing by PR3 in a time-dependent manner.Conclusion:Correlation of serum IL-16 with clinical features of GPA suggests that IL-16 is associated with markers of disease activity, tissue damage and autoreactivity. We showed that PBMC and PMN represent a source of IL-16 in GPA. By the identification of PR3 as an additional IL-16-activating enzyme we could demonstrate a potential link between excessive PR3 expression, cell death and IL-16-dependent mechanisms, contributing to chronic granulomatous inflammation and autoimmunity in GPA.References:[1]Glass, W. G. et al. Not-so-sweet sixteen: The role of IL-16 in infectious and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. J. Interf. Cytokine Res. 26, 511–520 (2006).[2]Millet, A. et al. Proteinase 3 on apoptotic cells disrupts immune silencing in autoimmune vasculitis. J. Clin. Invest. 125, 4107–4121 (2015).[3]Yoon, T. et al. Serum interleukin-16 significantly correlates with the Vasculitis Damage Index in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. Arthritis Res. Ther. 22, 1–6 (2020).[4]Elssner, A. et al. IL-16 Is Constitutively Present in Peripheral Blood Monocytes and Spontaneously Released During Apoptosis. J. Immunol. 172, 7721–7725 (2004).[5]Roth, S. et al. Secondary necrotic neutrophils release interleukin-16C and macrophage migration inhibitory factor from stores in the cytosol. Cell Death Discov. 1, 15056 (2015).Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Urine Proteomics and Renal Single‐Cell Transcriptomics Implicate Interleukin‐16 in Lupus Nephritis

“…Because the release of bioactive IL‐16 depends on caspase 3 activation (33), apoptosis and proapoptotic stimuli, including sublethal doses of granzymes, may also lead to its release. IL‐16 can also be released upon cleavage by proteinase 3 (35), which suggests that urinary IL‐16 may indicate neutrophil degranulation. IL‐16 is the natural ligand for CD4 and CD9 and is a strong chemoattractant for CD4+ T cells (especially Th1 cells), as well as CD8 T cells, NK cells, B cells, monocytes, neutrophils, dendritic cells, and mast cells (31).…”

Urine proteomic signatures of histological class, activity, chronicity, and treatment response in lupus nephritis

“…IL-16 is a proinflammatory chemokine that can activate and recruit CD4+ and CD9+ cells (34)(35)(36)(37). Pro-IL-16 is cleaved into bioactive IL-16 by caspase 3 (36) or PR3 (38) indicating that both cell death and neutrophil/monocyte degranulation may lead to IL-16 activation. Notably, CD9 controls migration and proliferation of parietal epithelial cells in response to podocyte injury (39).…”