Regulatory T cells produce profibrotic cytokines in the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 135; no. 4; pp. 946 - 955.e9
• Main Authors: MacDonald, Katherine G., Dawson, Nicholas A.J., Huang, Qing, Dunne, James V., Levings, Megan K., Broady, Raewyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2015; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Age; Allergy and Immunology; Biopsy; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Disease; Extracellular matrix; fibroblasts; Fibrosis; forkhead box protein 3; Gene Expression; Histology; human; Human subjects; Humans; IL-13; IL-33; IL-33 receptor; IL-4; Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; Interleukin-13 - metabolism; Interleukin-13 - pharmacology; Lymphocyte Count; Lymphocytes; Plastic surgery; Proteins; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism; Receptors, Chemokine - metabolism; Regulatory T cells; Scleroderma, Systemic - genetics; Scleroderma, Systemic - immunology; Scleroderma, Systemic - metabolism; Scleroderma, Systemic - pathology; skin; Skin - immunology; Skin - metabolism; Skin - pathology; ST2; systemic sclerosis; T-cell plasticity; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - metabolism; TH2 cells; T-cell plasticity; SSc; PMA; Tconv; Treg; IL-4; skin; IL-13; Regulatory T cells; IL-33; FOXP3; forkhead box protein 3; ST2; TH2 cells; CT; fibroblasts; systemic sclerosis; FVD; CLA; CRTH2; fibrosis; human; IL-33 receptor; T H2 cells; Regulatory T; Conventional T; Cutaneous lymphocyte antigen; Fixable viability dye; Chemoattractant receptor–homologous molecule expressed on T H2 lymphocytes; Cycle threshold; Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; T(H)2 cells

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Pathologic conversion of regulatory T (Treg) cells into inflammatory cytokine–producing cells is thought to be an important step in the progression of autoimmunity, but whether loss of norma...