Psoriasis is linked to systemic inflammation and cardiovascular comorbidities, but studies of the underlying cellular mechanisms are lacking. The NLRP3 inflammasome is genetically associated with psoriasis, and its activation is increasingly linked with cardiovascular disease. In this study, we show that patients with psoriasis exhibited higher plasma levels of inflammasome-generated IL-1ß and IL-18, without any correlation to skin lesion severity. Increased constitutive expression of the inflammasome sensors NLRP3, NLRP1, and AIM2 was found in peripheral blood cells of the patients and also of those with mild disease, and this was accompanied by an increased caspase-1 reactivity in the myeloid blood subsets. TNF-a was found to activate selectively the NLRP3 inflammasome without the requirement for a priming signal. TNF-a was found to signal through the TNFR?caspase-8?caspase-1 alternative inflammasome pathway, which proceeds independently of pyroptosis. Patients who received anti-TNF therapy had normalized plasma IL-1ß and IL-18 levels as well as normalized caspase-1 reactivity. This was in contrast to the patients treated with methotrexate who exhibited persistent, increased caspase-1 reactivity. Thus, we show that the TNF-a-mediated activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in patients with psoriasis may contribute to systemic inflammation. Anti-TNF therapy normalized inflammasome function, suggesting a mechanism for the cardiovascular risk?reducing effect.

Inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis, are characterized by changes in redox regulation. The MTH1 prevents the incorporation of oxidized nucleotides during DNA replication. Using MTH1 small-molecule inhibitors, we found induced apoptosis through 8-oxodeoxyguanosine triphosphate accumulation and DNA double-strand breaks after oxidative stress in normal and malignant keratinocytes. In psoriasis, we detected increased MTH1 expression in lesional skin and PBMCs compared with that in the controls. Using the imiquimod psoriasis mouse model, we found that MTH1 inhibition diminished psoriatic histological characteristics and normalized the levels of neutrophils and T cells in the skin and skin-draining lymph nodes. The inhibition abolished the expression of T helper type 17-associated cytokines in the skin, which was in line with decreased levels of IL-17-producing gd T cells in lymph nodes. In human keratinocytes, MTH1 inhibition prevented the upregulation of IL-17-downstream genes, which was independent of ROS-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, our data support MTH1 inhibition using small molecules suitable for topical application as a promising therapeutic approach to psoriasis.

The protection against tuberculosis induced by the Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine is unpredictable. In our previous study, altered DNA methylation pattern in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in response to BCG was observed in a subgroup of individuals, whose macrophages killed mycobacteria effectively (responders). These macrophages also showed production of Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in response to mycobacterial stimuli before vaccination. Here, we hypothesized that the propensity to respond to the BCG vaccine is reflected in the DNA methylome. We mapped the differentially methylated genes (DMGs) in PBMCs isolated from responders/non-responders at the time point before vaccination aiming to identify possible predictors of BCG responsiveness. We identified 43 DMGs and subsequent bioinformatic analyses showed that these were enriched for actin-modulating pathways, predicting differences in phagocytosis. This could be validated by experiments showing that phagocytosis of mycobacteria, which is an event preceding mycobacteria-induced IL-1 beta production, was strongly correlated with the DMG pattern.

Innate immunity is a first line defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection where inflammasome activation and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta, plays a major role. Thus, genetic polymorphisms in innate immunity-related genes such as CARD8 and NLRP3 may contribute to the understanding of why most exposed individuals do not develop infection. Our aim was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in CARD8 and NLRP3 and active tuberculosis (TB) as well as their relationship to treatment outcome in a high-endemic setting for TB. Polymorphisms in CARD8 (C10X) and NLRP3 (Q705K) were analysed in 1190 TB patients and 1990 healthy donors (HD). There was a significant association between homozygotes in the CARD8 polymorphism and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), which was not the case for pulmonary TB or HDs. Among TB-patients, there was an association between poor treatment outcome and the NLRP3 (Q705K) polymorphism. Our study shows that inflammasome polymorphisms are associated with EPTB and poor clinical outcome in active TB in Ethiopia. The practical implications and determining causal relationships on a mechanistic level needs further study.

BACKGROUND: In psoriasis, a common immune-mediated disease affecting 2-3% of the population worldwide, there is an increased prevalence of extracutaneous diseases including obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. This is believed to be linked to systemic inflammation. In previous studies, we have explored various markers in plasma and serum to characterize the ongoing systemic inflammation in psoriasis patients compared to controls. We have identified several markers that were altered in psoriasis patients, but which all were unresponsive to narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of NB-UVB treatment on markers of cardiovascular risk and systemic inflammation in psoriasis.

METHODS: The levels of 17 potential biomarkers with an association with cardiovascular risk were quantitated in plasma from 37 age- and gender-matched psoriasis patients and controls at baseline and in 21 psoriasis patients after 12 weeks of NB-UVB treatment to identify a systemic treatment response.

RESULTS: We identified the mediators endocan-1, CXCL16, and sVEGFR1, which were systemically decreased in psoriasis at baseline, as well as FABP3, FABP4, and sIL-1R1, which showed normal baseline levels. After 10-12 weeks of NB-UVB treatment, endocan-1 and CXCL16 were restored to normal levels, while sVEGFR1, FABP3, FABP4, and sIL-1R1 showed a significant reduction.

CONCLUSION: The current study expands the number of potential biomarkers in psoriasis by including a greater number and variety of mediators, approaching the systemic inflammation from additional vantage points, including soluble immune receptors and adipocyte contribution, to provide a more complete picture of the systemic inflammatory state in psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with both local and systemic components. Genome-wide approaches have identified more than 60 psoriasis-susceptibility loci, but genes are estimated to explain only one-third of the heritability in psoriasis, suggesting additional, yet unidentified, sources of heritability. Epigenetic modifications have been linked to psoriasis and altered DNA methylation patterns in psoriatic versus healthy skin have been reported in whole-skin biopsies. In this study, focusing on epigenetic modifications in the psoriatic uninvolved skin, we compared the lesional and non-lesional epidermis from psoriasis patients with epidermis from healthy controls. We performed an exhaustive genome-wide DNA methylation profiling using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, which interrogates the methylation status of approximately 3-4 million CpG sites. More than 2,000 strongly differentially methylated sites were identified and a striking overrepresentation of the Wnt and cadherin pathways among the differentially methylated sites was found. In particular, we observe a strong differential methylation in several psoriasis candidate genes. A substantial number of differentially methylated sites present in the uninvolved versus healthy epidermis suggests the presence of a pre-psoriatic state in the clinically healthy skin type. Our exploratory study represents a starting point for identifying biomarkers for psoriasis-prone skin before disease onset.

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) belongs to the Janus kinase (JAK) family of tyrosine kinases, which transmit signals from activated cytokine receptors. GWAS have consistently implicated TYK2 in psoriasis susceptibility. We performed an in-depth association analysis of TYK2 using GWAS and resequencing data. Strong genetic association of three nonsynonymous variants in the exonic regions of the TYK2 gene (rs34536443, rs12720356, and rs2304256) were found. rs12720356 encoding I684S is predicted to be deleterious based on its location in the pseudokinase domain. We analyzed PBMCs from 29 individuals representing the haplotypes containing each of the significantly associated signals. STAT4 phosphorylation was evaluated by phospho-flow cytometry after CD3/CD28 activation of cells followed by IL-12 stimulation. Individuals carrying the protective I684S variant manifested significantly reduced p-STAT4 levels in CD4 + CD25 + CD45RO + (mean Stimulation Index (S.I.) 48.08, n = 10) and CD8 + CD25 + CD45RO + cells (S.I. 55.71, n = 10), compared to controls homozygous for the ancestral haplotype (S.I. 68.19, n = 10 (p = 0.002) and 76.76 n = 10 (p = 0.0008) respectively). Reduced p-STAT4 levels were also observed in skin-homing, cutaneous lymphocyte associated antigen (CLA)-positive CD4 and CD8 cells from I684S carriers. No significant changes in p-STAT4 for the psoriasis-associated variant rs34536443 was found. These data establish the functional significance of the TYK2 I684S variant in psoriasis susceptibility.

The reason for the largely variable protective effect against TB of the vaccine Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is not understood. In this study, we investigated whether epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the response of immune cells to the BCG vaccine. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from BCG-vaccinated subjects and performed global DNA methylation analysis in combination with functional assays representative of innate immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Enhanced containment of replication was observed in monocyte-derived macrophages from a subgroup of BCG-vaccinated individuals (identified as responders). A stable and robust differential DNA methylation pattern in response to BCG could be observed in PBMCs isolated from the responders but not from the non-responders. Gene ontology analysis revealed that promoters with altered DNA methylation pattern were strongly enriched among genes belonging to immune pathways in responders, however no enrichments could be observed in the non-responders. Our findings suggest that BCG-induced epigenetic reprogramming of immune cell function can enhance anti-mycobacterial immunity in macrophages. Understanding why BCG induces this response in responders but not in nonresponders could provide clues to improvement of TB vaccine efficacy.

Background: Non-HLA genes may contribute to the prognosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We investigated associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in regions of MORC4, CD14, TLR4, NOD2, SLC22A4, SLC22A5, CARD8, NLRP3, and CLDN2 and the outcomes of patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Material/Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms in selected regions were determined and analyzed for putative associations with overall mortality and acute graft-versus-host disease. Significant associations were further explored by logistic regression, controlling for additional variables. Results: A significant association was identified between overall mortality among recipients and a nonsynonymous coding variant of MORC4 (rs6622126) in the recipient genetic makeup (P=0.029). Since MORC4 is located on the X-chromosome, the results were also analyzed separately for males and females. The association between overall mortality for recipients and the risk allele (rs6622126; A) was confirmed for males with respect to genetic makeup of recipients (P=0.012), donor genetic makeup (P=0.004), and the combined allele composition of the donor and recipient (P=0.001). A significant association was also identified between overall mortality and the recipient risk allele of CD14 (rs2569190; P=0.031), TLR4 (rs4986790; P=0.043), and NOD2 (carriage of at least 1 mutant allele of rs2066844, rs2066845, or rs2066847; P=0.048). Among the investigated genes, only the CD14 (rs2569190) recipient risk allele was significantly associated with acute graft-versus-host disease (P=0.023). Logistic regression models confirmed these findings, except for NOD2, and also identified a significant contribution by age at stem cell transplantation (MORC4, CD14, TLR4), diagnosis (CD14, TLR4), and prophylaxis (MORC4). Conclusions: Genetic variation in MORC4, CD14, and TLR4 may affect the outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: NACHT, LRR and PYD domain-containing protein (NLRP)1 is part of the inflammasome multiprotein complex involved in the production of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, two cytokines strongly implicated in psoriasis pathogenesis. Genetic variations in NLRP1 are associated with a predisposition for chronic inflammatory conditions.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the role of genetic variation in the NLRP1 inflammasome in psoriasis susceptibility.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs6502867, rs8079034, rs878329 and rs12150220) were investigated by TaqMan allelic discrimination in a patient sample comprising 1847 individuals from 478 families and 802 healthy controls.

RESULTS: Using the transmission disequilibrium test, a significant increase in the transmission of the NLRP1 rs8079034C and rs878329C alleles to patients with psoriasis was demonstrated (P = 0·006 and P = 0·033, respectively). Furthermore, homozygosity for the rs878329C allele correlated with a younger age of onset. We also observed an increase in the expression of NLRP1 mRNA in the peripheral blood cells of patients with psoriasis. This was accompanied by a higher level of circulating IL-18 and appeared to be associated with the rs878329C allele.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the involvement of NLRP1 and the NLRP1 inflammasome in psoriasis susceptibility and further support the role of innate immunity in psoriasis.

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and subsequent generation of IL-1β is initiated in macrophages upon recognition of several stimuli. In the present work, we show that gain-of-function gene variants of inflammasome components known to predispose individuals to inflammatory disorders have a host-protective role during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By isolation of macrophages from patients and healthy blood donors with genetic variants in NLRP3 and CARD8 and subsequently infecting the cells by virulent M. tuberculosis, we show that these gene variants, combined, are associated with increased control of bacterial growth in human macrophages.

Objectives: The NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is important for interleukin-1beta (IL-1 beta) processing as part of an innate immune response. Caspase recruitment domain family, member 8 (CARD8) is an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) and possibly also a part of the NLRP3 inflammasome. The objective of this study was to evaluate one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CARD8 and three SNPs in NLRP3 in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) susceptibility and disease phenotype. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethod: We recruited 492 AS patients from Southern Sweden fulfilling the modified New York criteria for AS, and assessed phenotypic characteristics from medical records and questionnaires. Patients with psoriasis or clinically overt inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were excluded, as were patients without human leucocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27). Three NLRP3 SNPs (rs35829419, rs4353135, and rs10733113) and one SNP in CARD8 (rs2043211) were genotyped by commercially available TaqMan assays, and the results compared at genotype and allele levels to those of 793 population-based controls. In a subgroup of the patients (n = 169), faecal calprotectin was assessed as a marker of subclinical intestinal inflammation. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults: The minor allele (A) of CARD8-C10X (rs2043211) was associated with a decreased risk of AS in a dominant model [odds ratio (OR) 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-0.94, p = 0.012] and at the allelic level (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.97, p = 0.02), but was not associated with levels of faecal calprotectin. There was no association regarding NLRP3 SNPs and AS susceptibility, and none of the investigated SNPs were associated with iritis, anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy, or peripheral joint involvement. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusion: In a Swedish population, the minor allele of CARD8-C10X is associated with a decreased risk of AS, but not with levels of faecal calprotectin or disease phenotype.

n/a

Interleukin-1β has long been known to have potential roles in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. Production of active Iinterleukin-1β is dependent on the action of a caspase activating protein complex called NALP3 inflammasome. The NALP3 inflammasome is composed of NALP3/Cryopyrin, ASC and CARD8. Polymorphisms in the NLRP3 and CARD8 genes have been linked to several autoinflammatory diseases. The NALP3 inflammasome is crucial for adjuvanticity of aluminium hydroxide, which is used as adjuvant in clinical trials of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-alum in T1D. Our aim was to investigate the effect of common polymorphisms of NLRP3 on T1D susceptibility as well as on GAD-alum treatment efficacy. The single nucleotide polymorphisms NLRP3 Q705K, CARD8 C10X and an SNP downstream of the NLRP3 gene, rs10733113, were genotyped using a Taqman genotyping assay. The A allele of CARD8 C10X was associated with a lower stimulated insulin secretion 3 months after diagnosis in males. Patients with at least one G allele at rs10733113 were more likely to produce auto-antibodies against two or more of the islet antigens GAD, Insulin or IA-2. None of the genotyped SNPs had any significant influence on efficacy of GAD-alum treatment, but individuals with at least one rs10733113 G allele treated with placebo had lower residual insulin secretion than those with the AA genotype at 9, 15 and 21 months after start of treatment.

Background: Neutrophils are key-players in the innate host defense and their programmed cell death and removal are essential for efficient resolution of inflammation. These cells recognize a variety of pathogens, and the NOD-like receptors (NLRs) have been suggested as intracellular sensors of microbial components and cell injury/stress. Some NLR will upon activation form multi-protein complexes termed inflammasomes that result in IL-1 beta production. NLR mutations are associated with auto-inflammatory syndromes, and our previous data propose NLRP3 (Q705K)/CARD-8 (C10X) polymorphisms to contribute to increased risk and severity of inflammatory disease by acting as genetic susceptibility factors. These gene products are components of the NALP3 inflammasome, and approximately 6.5% of the Swedish population are heterozygote carriers of these combined gene variants. Since patients carrying the Q705K/C10X polymorphisms display leukocytosis, the aim of the present study was to find out whether the inflammatory phenotype was related to dysfunctional apoptosis and impaired clearance of neutrophils by macrophages. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods and Findings: Patients carrying the Q705K/C10X polymorphisms displayed significantly delayed spontaneous as well as microbe-induced apoptosis compared to matched controls. Western blotting revealed increased levels and phosphorylation of Akt and Mcl-1 in the patients neutrophils. In contrast to macrophages from healthy controls, macrophages from the patients produced lower amounts of TNF; suggesting impaired macrophage clearance response. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions: The Q705K/C10X polymorphisms are associated with delayed apoptosis of neutrophils. These findings are explained by altered involvement of different regulators of apoptosis, resulting in an anti-apoptotic profile. Moreover, the macrophage response to ingestion of microbe-induced apoptotic neutrophils is altered in the patients. Taken together, the patients display impaired turnover and clearance of apoptotic neutrophils, pointing towards a dysregulated innate immune response that influences the resolution of inflammation. The future challenge is to understand how microbes affect the activation of inflammasomes, and why this interaction will develop into severe inflammatory disease in certain individuals.

Colorectal tumors are continuously exposed to an inflammatory environment, which together with mitogenic signals sustain several cancer hallmarks. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) is a major regulator of inflammation and variation in NFκB-associated genes could potentially be used as biomarkers to identify patients with increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) development, and/or a rapidly progressing disease. In this study, 348 CRC cases and 806 randomly selected healthy individuals from southeastern Sweden were examined with regard to seven polymorphisms in NFκB pathway-associated genes. Log-rank-tests and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis examined the association between the polymorphisms and CRC-specific survival, whereas chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were used to test for associations between the polymorphisms and CRC susceptibility. Gene expression and loss of heterozygosity analyses of TNFAIP3 were carried out in a subset of tumors to assess its role as a tumor suppressor in CRC. Heterozygous and polymorphic TNFAIP3 (rs6920220), heterozygous NLRP3 (Q705K) and polymorphic NFκB -94 ATTG ins/del genotypes were found to be associated with poorer survival in patients diagnosed with invasive CRC (aHR = 5.2, 95% CI: 2.5-10.9, P < 0.001). TNFAIP3 mRNA levels were significantly decreased in tumors compared with adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa (P < 0.0001) and loss of heterozygosity of 6q23.3 (TNFAIP3) was detected in 17% of cases, whereas only 2.5% of the investigated specimens displayed TNFAIP3 gene mutations. We propose that TNFAIP3 (rs6920220), NLRP3 (Q705K) and NFκB -94 ATTG ins/del polymorphisms are associated with poor survival in patients with advanced CRC and may be used as prognostic markers. Experimental results indicate that TNFAIP3 may act as a tumor suppressor in CRC.

Genetic variants of NLRP3 and NLRP1 are known to modulate levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1 beta. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of NLRP3/NLRP1 polymorphisms with susceptibility and clinical features of malignant melanoma in a Swedish casecontrol study. Common variants in NLRP3/NLRP1 were investigated in sporadic malignant melanoma patients and healthy controls followed by analysis using logistic regression. NLRP3 variant (rs35829419) was significantly more common in male patients than in controls (OR, 2.22; CI, 1.273.86). Upon stratification, significant association with nodular melanoma was observed (OR, 2.89; CI, 1.336.30), which intensified in male patients (OR 4.03, CI 1.4011.59). The NLRP1 variant (rs12150220) was significantly more common in fair-skinned female patients (OR, 1.85; CI, 1.043.33) and showed strong associations with nodular melanoma (OR, 6.03; CI, 1.3325). Our data suggest that NLRP3/NLRP1 polymorphisms are associated with melanoma susceptibility; these findings warrant validation in other independent populations.

n/a

Background: The Q705K polymorphism in NLRP3 has been implicated in several chronic inflammatory diseases. In this study, we determine the functional role of this commonly occurring polymorphism using an in-vitro system.

Methods / Principle findings: NLRP3-WT and NLRP3-Q705K were retrovirally transduced into the human monocytic cell line THP-1, followed by the assessment of IL-1β and IL-18 levels in the cell culture supernatant. THP-1 cells expressing the above NLRP3 variants were sorted based upon Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) expression. Cytokine response to alum (one of the most widely used adjuvants in vaccines) in the cells stably expressing NLRP3-WT and NLRP3-Q705K were determined. IL-1β and IL-18 levels were found to be elevated in THP-1 cells transduced with NLRP3-Q705K compared to the NLRP3-WT. Upon exposure to alum, THP-1 cells stably expressing NLRP3-Q705K displayed an increased production of IL-1β, IL-18 and TNF-α, in a caspase-1 and IL-1 receptor-dependent manner.

Conclusions: Collectively, these findings show that the Q705K polymorphism in NLRP3 is a gain-of-function alteration leading to an overactive NLRP3 inflammasome. The option of IL-1β blockade may be considered in patients with chronic inflammatory disorders that are unresponsive to conventional treatments.

NLRP3 has been recognized as one of the key components of innate immunity. Upon activation, NLRP3 forms a multiprotein complex called as the ‘inflammasome’ which leads to the activation of pro-inflammatory caspase-1 which subsequently results in the formation of Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Mutations in the NLRP3 gene can lead to its constitutive activation resulting in an uncontrolled production of IL-1β. These mutations have been implicated in hereditary inflammatory diseases, often grouped under Cryopyrin associated periodic syndromes (CAPS, cryopyrin being an alternative name for NLRP3).

Paper I in this thesis presents the case of a patient with a long history of arthritis and antibiotic resistant fever, but without the typical symptoms of CAPS. The patient was a heterozygous carrier of two common polymorphisms, Q705K in NLRP3 and C10X in CARD-8. Experimental studies indicated elevated activity of caspase-1 and IL-1β levels in the patient and a total clinical remission was achieved by IL-1β blockade. These two polymorphisms simultaneously occur in almost 4% of the control population, suggesting the possibility of a genetic predisposition for inflammation in these individuals. We, therefore, investigated a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in paper II, and found that carrying the combined polymorphisms resulted in increased RA susceptibility and a more severe disease course. Hypothetically, this subgroup might benefit from IL-1β blockade. Paper III presents two patients: siblings, who did not fit into a typical CAPS phenotype. The inflammatory symptoms in both the patients appeared in adult life. A novel and functional M299V mutation in NLRP3 was detected in the siblings who neither had common symptoms nor the same disease severity. Consequent with inflammasome activation, abnormally elevated caspase-1 activity and IL-1β levels were seen. Patients in papers I and III highlight the risk of missing out such patients if attempting a very conventional diagnosis. Paper IV dissects the functional role of Q705K in NLRP3 using THP-1 cells in an in vitro model. Moderately elevated IL-1β and IL-18 levels could be observed in the THP-1 cells expressing Q705K, as compared to the wild type expressing cells, indicating a gain-of-function. Due to the presence of this alteration in healthy individuals it can be classified as a low-penetrance alteration. Additional studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanistic details of this polymorphism.

Objectives CARD8 and NLRP3 are constituents of the inflammasome which regulates interleukin 1 beta production. The influence of polymorphisms in CARD8 and NLRP3 on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility and severity were evaluated. Methods CARD8 p.C10X and NLRP3 p.Q705K genotypes were assessed in andgt;500 controls and patients with early RA from northern Sweden. The patients were monitored regularly over a 2-year period. The 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) and its separate components were compared across genotypes. Results Patients with one or more variant alleles in CARD8 (CARD8-X) had increased DAS28, tender joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate during the 2-year follow-up period despite receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to a greater extent. CARD8-X was significantly over-represented among patients who received anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy during the first 2 years. CARD8 and NLRP3 genotypes did not influence radiological joint damage and were not associated with an increased susceptibility. Conclusions Carriage of CARD8-X is associated with a worse disease course in early RA.

OBJECTIVE: The NALP3 inflammasome is a multiprotein complex that triggers caspase 1-mediated interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) release. Mutations in the gene encoding NALP3 (NLRP3) underlie the cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS). The aim of this study was to report a novel NLRP3 mutation in 2 siblings of Swedish descent in whom symptoms first presented in adulthood.

METHODS: Mutation analysis of NLRP3 was performed on DNA from patients with CAPS and 100 control subjects. For assessment of caspase 1 and IL-1beta, blood was collected from patients and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Genetic constructs containing mutant or wild-type NLRP3 were transduced into THP-1 cells, followed by assessment of IL-1beta levels in cell supernatant.

RESULTS: Both siblings carried a novel M299V mutation in NLRP3, which was not present in the control population. The samples obtained from the patients displayed increased caspase 1 activity and elevated IL-1beta levels at basal conditions as compared with healthy control subjects. THP-1 cells expressing mutated M299V revealed almost 10-fold higher IL-1beta production compared with the wild-type construct.

CONCLUSION: M299V is an activating mutation in NLRP3 resulting in elevated spontaneous caspase 1 activity and IL-1beta levels. The classic CAPS phenotype was lacking in these adult siblings. Whereas one sibling displayed a milder phenotype that has so far responded satisfactorily to oral nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in combination with low-dose corticosteroids, the inflammatory symptoms in the sibling with the more severe case responded well to IL-1beta blockade. Understanding the pathogenic mechanism underlying such disorders can be helpful for the physician. Our study reinforces the importance of genetic testing and laboratory investigations in combination with careful phenotypic evaluation for the diagnosis of such patients.

OBJECTIVES : Crohns disease (CD) is characterized by overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines like interleukin (IL)-1 beta. Production of mature IL-1 beta is dependent on a caspase-1-activating protein complex called the NALP3 inflammasome, composed of NALP3, ASC, and CARD8. NALP3 shares structural similarities with Nod2, and both of these proteins are required for bacteria-induced IL-1 beta secretion. The combination of the polymorphisms CARD8 (C10X) and NALP3 (Q705K) was recently shown to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Our aim was to investigate whether these combined polymorphisms play a role in the susceptibility to CD.

METHODS: The study included 498 CD patients in two cohorts from different regions and 742 control individuals from a Swedish population. DNA was isolated from whole blood. Polymorphisms of (Q705K) NALP3 and (C10X) CARD8, as well as the Nod2 variants, R702W and G908R, were genotyped using the Taqman single nucleotide polymorphism assay. The Nod2 frameshift mutation, L1007fs, was detected by Megabace SNuPe genotyping.

RESULTS: Our results show that men who have both the C10X and Q705K alleles in CARD8 and NALP3, and who express wild-type alleles of Nod2 are at an increased risk of developing CD (odds ratio, OR: 3.40 range: 1.32-8.76); P = 0.011). No association with these polymorphisms was found in women (OR: 0.89 (range: 0.44-1.77); P = 0.74).

CONCLUSIONS: We suggest a role for combined polymorphisms in CARD8 and NALP3 in the development of CD in men, with obvious sex differences in the genetic susceptibility pattern. These findings give further support to the importance of innate immune responses in CD.

Innate immunity has received impressive attention in the past decade owing to the discovery of the Toll like receptors (TLRs) and the NOD-like receptors (NLRs). While the TLRs specialize in fighting microbes at the cell surface, the NLRs complement by detecting and responding to intracellular microbes. Recently, the non-microbe sensing NLR called inflammasomes, have been identified, which senses metabolic stress as well as certain pathogenic microbes and elicits host’s inflammatory response.

The NLR, NALP3 (formerly known as cryopyrin) forms a large cytoplasmic complex called the ‘inflammasome’ when NALP3, activated by a stimuli, associates with the adaptor proteins ASC and CARD-8. This interaction leads to the activation of pro-inflammatory caspase-1 which subsequently results in the formation of Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Mutations in the gene encoding NALP3, termed NLRP3 can lead to its constitutive activation resulting in an uncontrolled production of IL-1β. These mutations have been implicated in hereditary inflammatory diseases, often grouped under cryopyrin associated periodic syndromes (CAPS).

This thesis describes a patient with a long history of arthritis and antibiotic resistant fever, but without the typical symptoms of CAPS. The patient was found to be a heterozygous carrier of two common polymorphisms Q705K in NLRP3 and C10X in the CARD-8. Experimental studies showed elevated levels of caspase-1 and IL-1β in the patient, and a total clinical remission was achieved by IL-1β blockade. These two polymorphisms combined, were found to occur in approximately 4% of the control population, suggesting the possibility of a genetic predisposition for inflammation in these individuals. Therefore, a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, where elevated IL-1β could be one of the reasons behind chronic inflammation, was investigated. We found that carrying the combined polymorphisms resulted in increased RA susceptibility and a more severe disease course. Hypothetically, this subgroup of patients might benefit from IL-1β blockade. Additional studies are warranted to elucidate the functional effects of the two polymorphisms and to determine whether they identify a subgroup of patients that could benefit from IL-1 targeted therapy. Given the structural similarity of NALP3 to other NALPs, the possibility of involvement of the alternative, homologous genes cannot be eliminated.

Objective: NALP3, ASC, and TUCAN are components of the NALP3 inflammasome, which triggers caspase 1-mediated interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release. Activating mutations in the gene encoding NALP3 (NLRP3) have recently been linked to familial periodic fever syndromes. We undertook this study to determine whether a patient with arthritis and antibiotic-resistant fever carried mutations in the genes encoding the NALP3 inflammasome.

Methods: Genetic analysis of NLRP3 and the gene encoding TUCAN (CARD-8) was performed on genomic DNA from the patient and from a population-based collection of DNA (806 subjects). For in vitro studies of IL-1β production and caspase 1 activity, blood was obtained from the patient at different time points after administration of anakinra, an IL-1 receptor antagonist, as well as from 5 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects.

Results: Mutation analysis of the patient's genes encoding NALP3, ASC, and TUCAN revealed variations in the NLRP3 (Q705K) and CARD-8 (C10X) genes. The allele frequencies of these single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the population were 6.5% and 34%, respectively. The elevated activity of caspase 1 and the high levels of IL-1β measured in samples from the patient returned to normal levels after treatment with anakinra.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that the patient's symptoms were due to elevated levels of IL-1β, since treatment with anakinra effectively abolished the symptoms. The compound SNPs may explain the increased IL-1β levels and inflammatory symptoms observed, but further studies are needed to reveal a functional relationship. The prevalence of the polymorphisms (4% of the population carry both SNPs) in the general population may suggest a genetic predisposition for common inflammatory disorders.

Objectives: The genetic background to RA is incompletely understood.As new cytokine-targeted therapies emerge, early predictorsof disease severity are becoming increasingly important. Theinflammasomes are essential regulators of cytokine production.We investigated whether two polymorphisms in the genes encodingcryopyrin (CIAS1) and TUCAN (CARD8) influence susceptibilityand disease course in RA.

Methods: Genotype frequencies were assessed in 174 Swedish patientswith early RA and 360 population-based controls without rheumaticdisease. Genotypes were categorized according to the presence(+) or absence (–) of two wild-type alleles and comparedbetween patients and controls. In the RA patients, antibodiestowards cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and the ‘sharedepitope’ (SE) were assessed, and medication and measuresof disease activity were monitored regularly during 3 yrs.

Results: The combination of CIAS1/TUCAN –/–, ascompared with CIAS1/TUCAN +/+, was significantly more commonamong patients than in controls [odds ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% CI1.03–4.6]. This association was strengthened when patientswere divided into anti-CCP+ [OR 2.8 (1.1–6.7)] or presenceof 1 SE copy [OR 2.8 (1.3–6.2)]. At most time-points duringthe 3-yr follow-up, patients with CIAS1/TUCAN –/–showed significantly higher disease activity. Furthermore, CIAS1/TUCAN–/– patients proved to be much more likely to receiveTNF-blocking therapy [relative risk 20 (2.6–149)].

Conclusions: Compound polymorphisms in CIAS1 and TUCAN associatewith RA susceptibility and severity. The cryopyrin inflammasomeneeds further attention regarding a possible aetiopathogeneticconnection with RA.

PURPOSE: Variations in genes orchestrating inflammatory responses,  such as those being connected with NFκB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, are associated with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, which are well-known risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between genetic variation and alterations in genes involved in NFκB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling and their possible influence on susceptibility and clinical outcome of colorectal cancer.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: 344 CRC cases and 793 randomly selected healthy individuals from southeastern Sweden were examined with regard to seven polymorphisms in NFκB, TNFAIP3, NLRP3, CARD8 and TLR4 genes. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to test for associations between the SNPs and CRC susceptibility, while log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to examine the association between the SNPs and CRC-specific survival. Gene expression assay and loss of heterozygosity analyzes of TNFAIP3 were carried out in a subset of tumors to assess its role as a potential tumor suppressor in CRC.

RESULTS: Adjusted for age, gender and polypoid/ulcerative CRC phenotype, a panel of heterozygous and mutant TNFAIP3 (rs6920220), mutant NFκB -94 ATTG ins/del and heterozygous NLRP3 (Q705K) genotypes were found to be associated with poorer survival in patients diagnosed with invasive CRC (aHR = 5.2 95% CI 2.5-10.9, P < 0.001). TNFAIP3 mRNA levels were significantly decreased in tumors compared to adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa (P < 0.0001) and LOH of 6q23.3, (TNFAIP3), was detected in 17% of cases, while only 2.5% of the investigated specimens displayed TNFAIP3 gene mutations.

CONCLUSIONS: A panel of the TNFAIP3 (rs6920220), NFκB -94 ATTG ins/del and NLRP3 (Q705K) polymorphisms are associated with poor survival in patients with advanced CRC and may be used as a prognostic marker. Experimental results indicate that TNFAIP3 may act as a tumor suppressor in CRC.