Published February 23, 2018 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Comorbid TNF-mediated heart valve disease and chronic polyarthritis share common mesenchymal cell-mediated aetiopathogenesis.

  • 1. Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece; Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
  • 2. Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece.
  • 3. Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
  • 4. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.
  • 5. Biomedcode Hellas SA, Vari, Greece.
  • 6. Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC), 'Alexander Fleming', Vari, Greece; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.

Description

OBJECTIVES: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritisshow higher mortality rates, mainly caused by cardiac comorbidities. The TghuTNF (Tg197) arthritis model develops tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-driven and mesenchymalsynovial fibroblast (SF)-dependent polyarthritis. Here, we investigate whether this model develops, similarly to human patients, comorbid heart pathology and explore cellular and molecular mechanisms linking arthritis to cardiac comorbidities.

METHODS: Histopathological analysis and echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac function were performed in the Tg197 model. Valve interstitial cells (VICs) were targeted by mice carrying the ColVI-Cretransgene. Tg197 ColVI-Cre Tnfr1fl/fl and Tg197 ColVI-Cre Tnfr1cneo/cneo mutant mice were used to explore the role of mesenchymal TNF signalling in the development of heart valve disease. Pathogenic VICs and SFs were further analysed by comparative RNA-sequencing analysis.

RESULTS: Tg197 mice develop left-sided heart valve disease, characterised by valvular fibrosis with minimal signs of inflammation. Thickened valve areas consist almost entirely of hyperproliferative ColVI-expressing mesenchymal VICs. Development of pathology results in valve stenosis and left ventricular dysfunction, accompanied by arrhythmic episodes and, occasionally, valvular regurgitation. TNF dependency of the pathology was indicated by disease modulation following pharmacological inhibition or mesenchymal-specific genetic ablation or activation of TNF/TNFR1 signalling. Tg197-derived VICs exhibited an activated phenotype ex vivo, reminiscent of the activated pathogenic phenotype of Tg197-derived SFs. Significant functional similarities between SFs and VICs were revealed by RNA-seq analysis, demonstrating common cellular mechanisms underlying TNF-mediated arthritides and cardiac comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidheart valve disease and chronic polyarthritis are efficiently modelled in the Tg197 arthritis model and share common TNF/TNFR1-mediated, mesenchymal cell-specific aetiopathogenic mechanisms.

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Funding

MCS-INTEST – Mesenchymal Cells of the Lamina Propria in Intestinal Epithelial and Immunological Homeostasis. 340217
European Commission
BTCURE – BeTheCuRE 115142
European Commission
CODEAGE – The role of Chronic DNA damage in Ageing and Age-related pathology 316354
European Commission