Panda A K, Das B K
1 Centre for Life Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Brambe, Ranchi, India.
2 Department of Medicine, SCB Medical College, Cuttack, Odisha, India.
Lupus. 2017 Apr;26(4):348-354. doi: 10.1177/0961203316662722. Epub 2016 Aug 19.
Nematode infections have been observed to inversely correlate with autoimmune disorders. Recently, we have shown the absence of filarial infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who live in filarial-endemic areas. The mechanism(s) by which filarial-infected individuals are protected against the development of RA or SLE are unknown. In mice CIA, an experimental model for RA, ES-62, an execratory product of rodent filarial nematode , has been shown to improve arthritis through suppression of the IL-17 pathway. A total of 160 individuals, 40 each of endemic normal, filarial-infected cases, SLE and RA patients, from filarial-endemic areas, were enrolled in the study. Plasma levels of IL17-A, IFN-α and TNF-α were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RA and SLE patients displayed significantly higher plasma IL-17A, IFN-α and TNF-α levels compared to endemic normal and infected individuals. Furthermore, IL-17A levels were significantly low in participants with filarial infection compared to endemic controls ( p < 0.05). Interestingly, plasma IL-17A levels correlated inversely with circulating filarial antigen (CFA) ( p = 0.004, Spearman r = -0.51). Filarial infection was associated with low plasma IL-17A levels, a mechanism by which it possibly protects individuals in filarial-endemic areas from the development of autoimmune disorders like RA and SLE.
已观察到线虫感染与自身免疫性疾病呈负相关。最近，我们发现生活在丝虫病流行地区的类风湿关节炎（RA）和系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者不存在丝虫感染。丝虫感染个体免受RA或SLE发生影响的机制尚不清楚。在小鼠胶原诱导性关节炎（CIA，一种RA的实验模型）中，啮齿类丝虫线虫的排泄产物ES-62已被证明可通过抑制IL-17途径改善关节炎。本研究共纳入了160名来自丝虫病流行地区的个体，其中地方病正常个体、丝虫感染病例、SLE患者和RA患者各40名。通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）对血浆中IL17-A、IFN-α和TNF-α水平进行定量。与地方病正常个体和感染个体相比，RA和SLE患者的血浆IL-17A、IFN-α和TNF-α水平显著更高。此外，与地方病对照相比，丝虫感染参与者的IL-17A水平显著较低（p < 0.05）。有趣的是，血浆IL-17A水平与循环丝虫抗原（CFA）呈负相关（p = 0.004，Spearman相关系数r = -0.51）。丝虫感染与血浆IL-17A水平低有关，这可能是丝虫病流行地区个体免受RA和SLE等自身免疫性疾病影响的一种机制。
