Production of CXCL10 in intestinal mucosa in active Coeliac Disease

BONDAR, CONSTANZA; ARAYA, ROMINA; GUZMAN, LUCIANA; CUETO RUA, EDUARDO; CHOPITA, NÉSTOR; CHIRDO, FERNANDO

Congreso; 16th International Congress of Mucosal Immunology; 2013

Lymphocytic infiltration, mainly composed by CD4+ Th1 cells and plasma cells, is a chararacteristic finding in intestinal mucosa in active Coeliac Disease (CD). Signals for specific recruitment of these cells have no been fully established. In previous work, we observed that the number of CXCR3+ cells and CXCL10 expression are higher in lamina propria of untreated CD patients compared to healthy controls. The aim of this work was to extend the investigation on the role of CXCL10/CXCR3 axis in CD pathogenesis. Higher concentration of CXCL10 was found in serum samples from CD patients (n=26) compared to healthy controls (n=21)(p=0.0002). mRNA levels for CXCL10 and CXCL11, but not CXCL9, were significantly higher in duodenal biopsies from paediatric CD patients (n=20) compared to healthy controls (n=22) or treated patients (n=6)(p<0,01). We identified plasma cells, among other lamina propria CXCL10 producer cells. CXCL10 was also expressed by epithelial cells. In vitro assays showed that CXCL10 was induced in Caco-2 cells treated with IFNg and poly I:C. In conclusion, the massive CXCL10 production in the small intestine may be one of the main chemotactic pathways mediating T cell and plasma cell recruitment. CXCL10 production by enterocytes may be also a consequence of innate stimuli