J Dig Dis. 2023 May 8. doi: 10.1111/1751-2980.13174. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an aberrant autoimmune condition mediated by T cell abnormality, which can drive fulminant liver failure or persistent liver injury. The study is undertaken to disclose the histopathological and functional engagement of cytokine IL-26, a potent inflammation mediator, in AIH disease progression.
METHODS: We conducted immunochemistry staining on collected liver biopsy samples to evaluate intrahepatic expression of IL-26. Cellular sources of hepatic IL-26 were detected by confocal microscopy. Flow cytometric was employed to determine the immunological alterations of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells following in vitro IL-26 treatment on primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy volunteers.
RESULTS: We present a statistically significant increase of IL-26 in AIH (n=48) liver lesions in comparison with chronic hepatitis B (n=25), non-alcoholic liver diseases (n=18) and healthy controls (n=10). Numbers of intrahepatic IL-26+ cells suggested a positive correlation with disease severity and serological indices. Immunofluorescence study indicated that infiltrating CD4+ , CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages orchestrated IL-26 secretion in AIH. Lastly, both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell delineations demonstrated effective activation, lytic and pro-inflammation functions upon IL-26 stimulation.
CONCLUSIONS: We scrutinized elevated IL-26 in AIH liver which fostered T cell activation, migration and cytotoxic capacity, indicating a therapeutic potential of IL-26 intervention in AIH. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID:37155188 | DOI:10.1111/1751-2980.13174
