Abstract
There is substantial data that suggests an abnormality of innate immunity in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) which includes the transcription factor nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) and well as downstream inflammatory signaling pathways. In addition, Immuno-Chip analysis has identified a novel PBC-associated locus near the receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) gene. Based on these observations, we investigated the role of the RANKL axis in the liver of patients with PBC compared to controls. We used immunohistochemistry to quantitate liver expression of RANKL, its receptor (RANK), and importantly the decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), including a total of 122 liver samples (PBC = 37, primary sclerosing cholangitis = 20, autoimmune hepatitis = 26, chronic hepatitis B = 32 and unaffected controls = 7). In addition, we studied RANKL-RANK-OPG co-localization in CD4 and CD8 T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, NK, NKT cells, hepatocytes, and cholangiocytes. We report herein that RANK is constitutively expressed by cholangiocytes in both unaffected and diseased liver. However, cholangiocytes from PBC express significantly higher levers of RANK than either the unaffected controls or liver diseased controls. CD4, CD8 and CD19 cells with in the portal areas around bile ducts in PBC express significantly higher levels of RANKL compared to controls. Importantly, the overall hepatic RANKL level and the ratio of hepatic RANKL/OPG correlated with disease severity in PBC. In conclusion, our data indicate a role of RANK-RANKL axis in the innate immune activation in PBC and we hypothesize that the damaged cholangiocytes, which express high levels of RANK, lead to the recruitment of RANKL positive cells and ultimately the classic portal tract infiltrates.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | e0159612 |
| Journal | PLoS One |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2016 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
Cite this
Quantitation of the RANK-RANKL axis in primary biliary cholangitis. / Lleo, Ana; Bian, Zhaolian; Zhang, Haiyan; Miao, Qi; Yang, Fang; Peng, Yanshen; Chen, Xiaoyu; Tang, Ruqi; Wang, Qixia; Qiu, Dekai; Fang, Jingyuan; Sobacchi, Cristina; Villa, Anna; Di Tommaso, Luca; Roncalli, Massimo; Gershwin, M. Eric; Ma, Xiong; Invernizzi, Pietro.
In: PLoS One, Vol. 11, No. 9, e0159612, 01.09.2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitation of the RANK-RANKL axis in primary biliary cholangitis
AU - Lleo, Ana
AU - Bian, Zhaolian
AU - Zhang, Haiyan
AU - Miao, Qi
AU - Yang, Fang
AU - Peng, Yanshen
AU - Chen, Xiaoyu
AU - Tang, Ruqi
AU - Wang, Qixia
AU - Qiu, Dekai
AU - Fang, Jingyuan
AU - Sobacchi, Cristina
AU - Villa, Anna
AU - Di Tommaso, Luca
AU - Roncalli, Massimo
AU - Gershwin, M. Eric
AU - Ma, Xiong
AU - Invernizzi, Pietro
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - There is substantial data that suggests an abnormality of innate immunity in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) which includes the transcription factor nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) and well as downstream inflammatory signaling pathways. In addition, Immuno-Chip analysis has identified a novel PBC-associated locus near the receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) gene. Based on these observations, we investigated the role of the RANKL axis in the liver of patients with PBC compared to controls. We used immunohistochemistry to quantitate liver expression of RANKL, its receptor (RANK), and importantly the decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), including a total of 122 liver samples (PBC = 37, primary sclerosing cholangitis = 20, autoimmune hepatitis = 26, chronic hepatitis B = 32 and unaffected controls = 7). In addition, we studied RANKL-RANK-OPG co-localization in CD4 and CD8 T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, NK, NKT cells, hepatocytes, and cholangiocytes. We report herein that RANK is constitutively expressed by cholangiocytes in both unaffected and diseased liver. However, cholangiocytes from PBC express significantly higher levers of RANK than either the unaffected controls or liver diseased controls. CD4, CD8 and CD19 cells with in the portal areas around bile ducts in PBC express significantly higher levels of RANKL compared to controls. Importantly, the overall hepatic RANKL level and the ratio of hepatic RANKL/OPG correlated with disease severity in PBC. In conclusion, our data indicate a role of RANK-RANKL axis in the innate immune activation in PBC and we hypothesize that the damaged cholangiocytes, which express high levels of RANK, lead to the recruitment of RANKL positive cells and ultimately the classic portal tract infiltrates.
AB - There is substantial data that suggests an abnormality of innate immunity in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) which includes the transcription factor nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) and well as downstream inflammatory signaling pathways. In addition, Immuno-Chip analysis has identified a novel PBC-associated locus near the receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) gene. Based on these observations, we investigated the role of the RANKL axis in the liver of patients with PBC compared to controls. We used immunohistochemistry to quantitate liver expression of RANKL, its receptor (RANK), and importantly the decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), including a total of 122 liver samples (PBC = 37, primary sclerosing cholangitis = 20, autoimmune hepatitis = 26, chronic hepatitis B = 32 and unaffected controls = 7). In addition, we studied RANKL-RANK-OPG co-localization in CD4 and CD8 T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, NK, NKT cells, hepatocytes, and cholangiocytes. We report herein that RANK is constitutively expressed by cholangiocytes in both unaffected and diseased liver. However, cholangiocytes from PBC express significantly higher levers of RANK than either the unaffected controls or liver diseased controls. CD4, CD8 and CD19 cells with in the portal areas around bile ducts in PBC express significantly higher levels of RANKL compared to controls. Importantly, the overall hepatic RANKL level and the ratio of hepatic RANKL/OPG correlated with disease severity in PBC. In conclusion, our data indicate a role of RANK-RANKL axis in the innate immune activation in PBC and we hypothesize that the damaged cholangiocytes, which express high levels of RANK, lead to the recruitment of RANKL positive cells and ultimately the classic portal tract infiltrates.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84992390608&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84992390608&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0159612
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0159612
M3 - Article
C2 - 27631617
AN - SCOPUS:84992390608
VL - 11
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 9
M1 - e0159612
ER -