Korzeniowska Aleksandra, Daca Agnieszka, Szarecka Maria, Bykowska Małgorzata, Witkowski Jacek, Bryl Ewa
Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland.
Pomeranian Rheumatology Center, 81-759 Sopot, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Dec 29;26(1):197. doi: 10.3390/ijms26010197.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease with complex pathogenesis, is characterized by an immune imbalance reflected, e.g., in the disturbed cytokines' profile. Various viruses and bacteria can cause the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines influencing RA development. In particular, oral cavity dysbiosis, observed in multiple chronic diseases including periodontitis, may be linked to RA. The cytokine profile (IL-1β, IP-10, IL-29, GM-CSF, IFN-α2, IFN-β, TGF-β1, MPC-1, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-12p70, IL-2, and IL-4) of RA patients' saliva was evaluated using flow cytometry and benchmarked with their levels in saliva of healthy controls and patients with other rheumatic diseases. The levels of IL-1β, IP-10, IL-2, and IL-4 were significantly elevated in RA patients' saliva compared to other studied groups. To define the potential role of the most suspicious microbial agents (Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus, Parvovirus B19, , and ) for RA pathogenesis, the amounts of their DNA in the saliva of patients with RA were assessed in all the groups mentioned above. The EBV and DNA levels measured by qRT-PCR were significantly higher in RA patients' saliva than in other groups, indicating either the important role of these agents in RA pathogenesis or the higher susceptibility of RA patients for those infectious factors. The comprehension of the association of specific cytokine profiles in RA and the occurrence of specific viral and/or bacterial infections can be a key to a better understanding of RA pathogenesis. These results illustrate the complexity of the immunological profile of RA, show the high diagnostic potential of saliva, and provide insight into how various infections can contribute to RA development.
类风湿关节炎（RA）是一种发病机制复杂的自身免疫性疾病，其特征是免疫失衡，例如细胞因子谱紊乱。多种病毒和细菌可导致促炎细胞因子上调，影响类风湿关节炎的发展。特别是，在包括牙周炎在内的多种慢性疾病中观察到的口腔微生物群失调，可能与类风湿关节炎有关。使用流式细胞术评估了类风湿关节炎患者唾液的细胞因子谱（IL-1β、IP-10、IL-29、GM-CSF、IFN-α2、IFN-β、TGF-β1、MPC-1、TNF-α、IFN-γ、IL-6、IL-10、IL-17A、IL-12p70、IL-2和IL-4），并与健康对照者和其他风湿性疾病患者唾液中的水平进行了对比。与其他研究组相比，类风湿关节炎患者唾液中IL-1β、IP-10、IL-2和IL-4的水平显著升高。为了确定最可疑的微生物因子（爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒（EBV）、巨细胞病毒、细小病毒B19等）在类风湿关节炎发病机制中的潜在作用，在上述所有组中评估了类风湿关节炎患者唾液中它们的DNA含量。通过qRT-PCR检测，类风湿关节炎患者唾液中的EBV和[此处原文缺失一种微生物名称]DNA水平显著高于其他组，这表明这些因子在类风湿关节炎发病机制中具有重要作用，或者类风湿关节炎患者对这些感染因子的易感性更高。理解类风湿关节炎中特定细胞因子谱与特定病毒和/或细菌感染发生之间的关联，可能是更好地理解类风湿关节炎发病机制的关键。这些结果说明了类风湿关节炎免疫谱的复杂性，显示了唾液的高诊断潜力，并为各种感染如何促进类风湿关节炎发展提供了见解。
