Methylprednisolone inhibits interleukin-17 and interferon-gamma expression by both naive and primed T cells

作者：Momcilovic Miljana; Miljkovic Zeljka; Popadic Dusan; Markovic Milos; Savic Emina; Ramic Zorica; Miljkovic Djordje^*; Mostarica Stojkovic Marija

来源：BMC Immunology, 2008, 9: 47.

DOI：10.1186/1471-2172-9-47

Background: Interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing cells are increasingly considered to be the major pathogenic population in various autoimmune disorders. The effects of glucocorticoids, widely used as therapeutics for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, on IL-17 generation have not been thoroughly investigated so far. Therefore, we have explored the influence of methylprednisolone (MP) on IL-17 expression in rat lymphocytes, and compared it to the effect of the drug on interferon (IFN)-gamma.
Results: Production of IL-17 in mitogen-stimulated lymph node cells (LNC) from non-treated rats, as well as in myelin basic protein (MBP)-stimulated draining LNC from rats immunized with spinal cord homogenate and complete Freund's adjuvant was significantly reduced by MP. The reduction was dose-dependent, sustained through the follow-up period of 48 hours, and was not achieved through anti-proliferative effect. Additionally, MP inhibited IL-17 production in purified T cells as well, but to less extent than in LNC. In its influence on IL-17 production MP inhibited Ror-gamma T transcription factor expression, as well as Jun phosphorylation, but not ERK or p38 activation in mitogen-stimulated LNC. Importantly, MP collaborated with IFN-gamma in inhibiting IL-17 generation in LNC.
Conclusion: The observed difference in the effect of MP on IL-17 and IFN-gamma could be important for the understanding of the variability in the efficiency of glucocorticoids in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

• 出版日期2008-8-12