Lower Serum Levels of Th2-Related Chemokine CCL22 in Women Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Comparison Between Patients and Healthy Women

Abstract

Chemokines play a major role in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Gender also affects the susceptibility and course of MS. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of the macrophage-derived chemokine (CCL22) in women and men patients with MS. Blood samples were collected from 135 healthy subjects (35 men and 100 women) and 135 MS patients (29 men and 136 women; 47 newly diagnosed and 88 treated patients and have relapsing-remitting (RRMS; n = 65), secondary progressive (SPMS; n = 37), primary progressive (PPMS; n = 19), or progressive relapsing (PRMS; n = 14) patterns). The serum levels of CCL22 were measured by ELISA. The difference of the mean serum levels of CCL22 between the newly diagnosed MS men and healthy men was not significant, but in newly diagnosed MS women, the mean serum levels of CCL22 were significantly lower than those in treated MS women and healthy women (P < 0.006 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The differences of the mean CCL22 levels between men patients with different treatment programs were not significant, but the mean CCL22 levels were significantly higher in women treated with interferon-β or the combination of interferon-β plus methylprednisolone as compared to untreated women patients (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). The CCL22 levels were also significantly higher in women with RRMS and PRMS patterns in comparison to healthy women (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). These results showed lower levels of CCL22 in women patients which represents that the reduction in CCL22 levels may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease in women. In women patients, the levels of CCL22 were influenced by disease pattern and treatment.

Critical role of CCL22/CCR4 axis in the maintenance of immune homeostasis during apoptotic cell clearance by splenic CD8α+CD103+ dendritic cells

“…CCL22, a member of the CC chemokine families, is mainly produced by monocyte‐derived macrophages and DCs upon stimulation with microbial products . A recent study has reported that the mean serum levels of CCL22 in newly diagnosed patients with multiple sclerosis were significantly lower than those in treated patients with multiple sclerosis and healthy people, suggesting that CCL22 serves as a biomarker for autoimmune diseases. However, the roles of CCL22 in the regulation of immune homeostasis by apoptotic cell clearance are poorly defined, although impairment of apoptotic cell phagocytosis causes autoimmune diseases .…”

Altered Expression of Specific Transcription Factors of Th17 (RORγt, RORα) and Treg Lymphocytes (FOXP3) by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

“…The role of Th2 cells, which secrete high levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, remains controversial (Raphael et al 2015). We have previously observed the elevated concentrations of a Th17-related chemokine (CCL20), diminished levels of a Th2/Treg-related chemokine (CCL22), and unchanged levels of a Treg-related cytokine in patients with MS (Jafarzadeh et al 2014a;Jafarzadeh et al 2014b;Jafarzadeh et al 2015).…”

SCRG1 suppresses LPS-induced CCL22 production through ERK1/2 activation in mouse macrophage Raw264.7 cells

“…CCL22 plays an important role in a variety of other diseases, including allergic rhinitis (76), atopic dermatitis (77), and lymphoma (78). Recent studies suggested that CCL22 can be used as a biomarker for autoimmune diseases (79). On the other hand, the role of CCL 22 in regulation of immune homeostasis is unclear (80,81).…”