Abstract
Septic arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease caused by S. aureus. Hematogenous entry of the bacteria to the synovium produces pro-inflammatory cytokines TGF-β and IL-6, which alter the Th17/Treg balance. Hence, targeting TGF-β and IL-6 could be beneficial in ameliorating arthritis. Antibody neutralization of TGF-β and IL-6 to modulate Th17/Treg homeostasis and RANKL/OPG ratio are not investigated so far in S. aureus-induced septic arthritis. Contribution of synovial lymphocyte-derived cytokines IL-10, IL-12, and CXCL-8; along with OPN, OPG, CRP, cellular ROS, antioxidant enzymes, and the expressions of RANKL, SAPK-JNK, MMP2, SOD, CAT, GPx, TGF-β and IL-6 were studied in lymphocytes of blood, spleen and synovial tissues of mice treated with antibody against of TGF-β and IL-6 after induction of septic arthritis. Dual neutralization of TGF-β and IL-6 is effective in shifting the Th17 cell into immunosuppressive Treg cell of the arthritic mice and enhances the RANKL/OPG interaction leading to the down-regulation of osteoclastic activity and reduces the production of OPN, IL-12, CXCL-8, and CRP. Additionally, it reduces oxidative stress via enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes including SOD, catalase, and GPx in lymphocytes. Thus it can be concluded that dual endogenous neutralization of TGF-β and IL-6 may be chosen as an alternative therapeutic approach for controlling the severity of septic arthritis through Treg-derived IL-10 that could ameliorate the inflammatory consequences of septic arthritis via influencing RANKL/OPG interaction in lymphocytes.