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Endothelial mesenchymal transition promotes pannus formation in ankylosing spondylitis by activation of TGF-β/SMAD signalling pathway


1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

 

  1. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
  2. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
  3. Department of Rheumatology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
  4. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
  5. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
  6. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China. doudou0928@163.com
  7. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou; and Department of Rheumatology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China. llinc@163.net

CER17169
2024 Vol.42, N°9
PI 1750, PF 1755
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PMID: 38634365 [PubMed]

Received: 26/09/2023
Accepted : 11/03/2024
In Press: 16/04/2024
Published: 23/09/2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To explore the role of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) mediated by the TGF-β/SMAD signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
METHODS:
Serum levels of TGF-β1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 48 patients with AS and 15 healthy subjects. The expression levels of TGF-β1, SMAD7, CTGF, CD34 and EndMT-related markers (α-SMA, vimentin, FSP-1, VE-cadherin) in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) of three AS patients were detected by immunohistochemistry, and three non-spondyloarthritis (SpA) autopsy samples were used as controls.
RESULTS:
Serum TGF-β1 level of AS patients was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (22971 ± 7667 pg/ml vs. 14837±4653 pg/ml, p<0.01). Compared with the non-SpA control group, the microvascular density (MVD) at the pannus formation site of SIJ in AS patients was significantly increased, accompanied by respectively increased expressions of TGF-β1, CTGF, α-SMA, vimentin, and FSP-1 (all p<0.05), whereas respectively decreased expressions of VE-cadherin and SMAD7 (p<0.01). The expression level of FSP-1 was positively correlated with levels of TGF-β1 and MVD, and negatively correlated with SMAD7.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings show that EndMT is involved in the promotion of pannus formation by TGF-β/SMAD signalling pathway activation in AS.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55563/clinexprheumatol/9u1vzp

Rheumatology Article