Gene transfer of a soluble IL-1 type 2 receptor-Ig fusion protein improves cardiac allograft survival in rats

• Published in: European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 222 - 228
• Main Authors: Simeoni, Eleonora, Dudler, Jean, Fleury, Sylvain, Li, Jianping, Pagnotta, Maria, Pascual, Manuel, von Segesser, Ludwig K., Vassalli, Giuseppe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier Science B.V 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Acute rejection; Adenoviridae - genetics; Animals; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene therapy; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Therapy - methods; Genetic Vectors; Graft Rejection - immunology; Graft Rejection - prevention & control; Graft Survival - immunology; Heart Transplantation; IL-1; Male; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Rats, Inbred Lew; Receptors, Interleukin-1 Type II - genetics; Receptors, Interleukin-1 Type II - metabolism; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Acute rejection; Gene therapy; IL-1; Heart transplantation
• ISSN: 1010-7940; 1873-734X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcts.2006.10.042

Objective: Interleukin-1 (IL-1) mediates ischemia–reperfusion injury and graft inflammation after heart transplantation. IL-1 affects target cells through two distinct types of transmembrane receptors, type-1 receptor (IL-1R1), which transduces the signal, and the non-signaling type-2 receptor (IL-1R2), which acts as a ligand sink that subtracts IL-1β from IL-1R1. We analyzed the efficacy of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated gene transfer of a soluble IL-1R2-Ig fusion protein in delaying cardiac allograft rejection and the mechanisms underlying the protective effect. Methods: IL-1 inhibition by IL-1R2-Ig was tested using an in vitro functional assay whereby endothelial cells preincubated with AdIL-1R2-Ig or control virus were stimulated with recombinant IL-1β or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) induction was measured by zymography. AdIL-1R2-Ig was delivered to F344 rat donor hearts ex vivo, which were placed in the abdominal position in LEW hosts. Intragraft inflammatory cell infiltrates and proinflammatory cytokine expression were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Results: IL-1R2-Ig specifically inhibited IL-1β-induced u-PA responses in vitro. IL-1R2-Ig gene transfer reduced intragraft monocytes/macrophages and CD4+ cell infiltrates (p ≪ 0.05), TNF-α and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression (p ≪ 0.05), and prolonged graft survival (15.6 ± 5.7 vs 10.3 ± 2.5 days with control vector and 10.1 ± 2.1 days with buffer alone; p ≪ 0.01). AdIL-1R2-Ig combined with a subtherapeutic regimen of cyclosporin A (CsA) was superior to CsA alone (19.4 ± 3.0 vs 15.9 ± 1.8 days; p ≪ 0.05). Conclusions: Soluble IL-1 type-2 receptor gene transfer attenuates cardiac allograft rejection in a rat model. IL-1 inhibition may be useful as an adjuvant therapy in heart transplantation.