CCL20 secreted from IgA1-stimulated human mesangial cells recruits inflammatory Th17 cells in IgA nephropathy

• Published in: PloS one 2017-05, Vol.12 (5), p.e0178352-e0178352
• Main Authors: Lu, Guoyuan, Zhang, Xiaopan, Shen, Lei, Qiao, Qing, Li, Yuan, Sun, Jieqiong, Zhang, Jinping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Apoptosis; Biology and Life Sciences; Biopsy; CCL20 protein; CCR6 protein; Cell proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Chemokine CCL20 - secretion; Chemokines; Coculture Techniques; Cytokines; Development and progression; Extracellular matrix; Female; Galactose; Genetic aspects; Glomerular Mesangium - metabolism; Glomerular Mesangium - pathology; Glomerulonephritis; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - immunology; Helper cells; Hospitals; Humans; IgA nephropathy; Immunofluorescence; Immunoglobulin A; Immunoglobulin A - immunology; Immunohistochemistry; Inflammation; Interleukin 17; Internal medicine; Kidney cancer; Kidney diseases; Kidneys; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mesangial cells; Middle Aged; Nephrology; Physiological aspects; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Research and Analysis Methods; Rodents; T cell antigen receptors; T cells; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Th17 Cells - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178352

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis characterized by human mesangial cells (HMC) proliferation and extracellular matrix expansion associated with immune deposits consisting of galactose-deficient IgA1. However, how IgA1 contributes to IgAN has yet to be completely elucidated. In this study, the expression profile of chemokines was more altered in IgA1-treated HMC than in the control group. CCL20 was significantly higher either in the serum of IgAN patients or in IgA1-treated HMC. Further experiments demonstrated that CCR6, the only receptor of CCL20, was highly expressed in activated T cells. Intracellular staining assay and cytokine expression profile implied that CCR6+ T cells produced high IL-17 levels. Transwell experiment immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence experiments extensively demonstrated that CCL20 could recruit inflammatory Th17 cells to the kidneys. These phenomena caused a series of immune inflammatory responses and further damaged the kidneys. Therefore, HMC stimulated by IgA1 could produce CCL20 and consequently recruit inflammatory Th17 cells to the kidneys to induce further lesion in IgA nephropathy.