Treatment with DNases rescues hidden neutrophil elastase from aggregated NETs.

The release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is one of the weapons neutrophils have in their armory. NETs consist of extracellular chromatin fibers decorated with a plethora of cytoplasmic and granular proteins, such as the antimicrobial serine protease neutrophil elastase (NE). Because the first description of NETs as beneficial to the host, reports on their double-faced role in health and disease have considerably increased recently. On one hand, NETs reportedly trap and kill bacteria and also participate in the resolution of the acute inflammation associated with infection and with tissue damage. On the other hand, numerous negative aspects of NETs contribute to the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. Employing soluble and solid fluorescent substrates, we demonstrate the interaction of NE with aggregated NETs (aggNETs), the limitation of its enzymatic activity and the containment of the enzyme from surrounding tissues. These events prevent the spread of inflammation and tissue damage. The detection of DNase 1-dependent elevation of NE activity attests the continuous presence of patrolling neutrophils forming NETs and aggNETs even under conditions physiologic conditions.

Frontline Science: Aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps prevent inflammation on the neutrophil-rich ocular surface.

Eye rheum is a physiological discharge, which accumulates at the medial angle of the healthy eye soon after opening in the morning. Microscopic evaluation of eye rheum revealed the presence of viable neutrophils, bacteria, epithelial cells, and particles, aggregated by neutrophil extracellular traps. We observed that in the evening, during eye closure, high C5a recruited neutrophils to the tear film and activated them. In this hypoxic area rich in CO2 , neutrophils fight microbial aggressors by degranulation. Immediately after eye opening, the microenvironment of the ocular surface changes, the milieu gets normoxic, and loss of CO2 induces subtle alkalinization of tear film. These conditions favored the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that initially covers the ocular surface and tend to aggregate by eyelid blinking. These aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps (aggNETs) are known as eye rheum and contain several viable neutrophils, epithelial cells, dust particles, and crystals packed together by NETs. Similar to aggNETs induced by monosodium urate crystals, the eye rheum shows a robust proteolytic activity that degraded inflammatory mediators before clinically overt inflammation occur. Finally, the eye rheum passively floats with the tear flow to the medial angle of the eye for disposal. We conclude that the aggNETs-based eye rheum promotes cleaning of the ocular surface and ameliorates the inflammation on the neutrophil-rich ocular surfaces.

Aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps resolve inflammation by proteolysis of cytokines and chemokines and protection from antiproteases.

Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome (PLS) is characterized by nonfunctional neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs) and fulminant periodontal inflammation of unknown cause. Here we investigated neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-associated aggregation and cytokine/chemokine-release/degradation by normal and NSP-deficient human and mouse granulocytes. Stimulated with solid or soluble NET inducers, normal neutrophils formed aggregates and both released and degraded cytokines/chemokines. With increasing cell density, proteolytic degradation outweighed release. Maximum output of cytokines/chemokines occurred mostly at densities between 2 × 107 and 4 × 107 neutrophils/cm3. Assessment of neutrophil density in vivo showed that these concentrations are surpassed during inflammation. Association with aggregated NETs conferred protection of neutrophil elastase against α1-antitrypsin. In contrast, eosinophils did not influence cytokine/chemokine concentrations. The proteolytic degradation of inflammatory mediators seen in NETs was abrogated in Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome (PLS) neutrophils. In summary, neutrophil-driven proteolysis of inflammatory mediators works as a built-in safeguard for inflammation. The absence of this negative feedback mechanism might be responsible for the nonresolving periodontitis seen in PLS.-Hahn, J., Schauer, C., Czegley, C., Kling, L., Petru, L., Schmid, B., Weidner, D., Reinwald, C., Biermann, M. H. C., Blunder, S., Ernst, J., Lesner, A., Bäuerle, T., Palmisano, R., Christiansen, S., Herrmann, M., Bozec, A., Gruber, R., Schett, G., Hoffmann, M. H. Aggregated neutrophil extracellular traps resolve inflammation by proteolysis of cytokines and chemokines and protection from antiproteases.

Thiopurine-induced toxicity is associated with dysfunction variant of the human molybdenum cofactor sulfurase gene (xanthinuria type II).

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to identify the genetic background of thiopurine-induced toxicity in a patient with a wild-type thiopurine methyltransferase genotype and activity. A 38-year-old Caucasian woman presented with cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis pancytopenia one month after starting azathioprine therapy. METHODS: During a routine biochemical follow-up of the patient, undetectable serum uric acid (<10 µl) was observed. A high performance liquid chromatography analysis of urinary purines revealed increased levels of xanthine (137 mmol/mol creatinine). The suspected diagnosis of hereditary xanthinuria, a rare autosomal recessive disorder of the last two steps of purine metabolism, was confirmed by sequence analysis. RESULTS: An analysis of XDH/XO and AOX1 revealed common polymorphisms, while analysis of the MOCOS gene identified a rare homozygous variant c.362C > T. Dysfunction of this variant was confirmed by significantly decreased xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase activity in the patient's plasma (<2% of control mean activity). CONCLUSIONS: We present a biochemical, enzymatic, and molecular genetic case study suggesting an important association between a hitherto undescribed dysfunction variant in the MOCOS gene and thiopurine-induced toxicity. The identified variant c.362C > T results in slower thiopurine metabolism caused by inhibition of 6-mercaptopurine oxidation (catabolism) to 6-thioxanthine and 6-thiouric acid, which increases the formation of the nucleotide 6-thioguanine, which is toxic. This is the first clinical case to identify the crucial role of the MOCOS gene in thiopurine intolerance and confirm the impact of genetic variability of purine enzymes on different therapeutic outcomes in patients undergoing thiopurine treatment.

Functional non-synonymous variants of ABCG2 and gout risk.

Objectives: Common dysfunctional variants of ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (Junior blood group) (ABCG2), a high-capacity urate transporter gene, that result in decreased urate excretion are major causes of hyperuricemia and gout. In the present study, our objective was to determine the frequency and effect on gout of common and rare non-synonymous and other functional allelic variants in the ABCG2 gene. Methods: The main cohort recruited from the Czech Republic consisted of 145 gout patients; 115 normouricaemic controls were used for comparison. We amplified, directly sequenced and analysed 15 ABCG2 exons. The associations between genetic variants and clinical phenotype were analysed using the t-test, Fisher's exact test and a logistic and linear regression approach. Data from a New Zealand Polynesian sample set and the UK Biobank were included for the p.V12M analysis. Results: In the ABCG2 gene, 18 intronic (one dysfunctional splicing) and 11 exonic variants were detected: 9 were non-synonymous (2 common, 7 rare including 1 novel), namely p.V12M, p.Q141K, p.R147W, p.T153M, p.F373C, p.T434M, p.S476P, p.D620N and p.K360del. The p.Q141K (rs2231142) variant had a significantly higher minor allele frequency (0.23) in the gout patients compared with the European-origin population (0.09) and was significantly more common among gout patients than among normouricaemic controls (odds ratio = 3.26, P < 0.0001). Patients with non-synonymous allelic variants had an earlier onset of gout (42 vs 48 years, P = 0.0143) and a greater likelihood of a familial history of gout (41% vs 27%, odds ratio = 1.96, P = 0.053). In a meta-analysis p.V12M exerted a protective effect from gout (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Genetic variants of ABCG2, common and rare, increased the risk of gout. Non-synonymous allelic variants of ABCG2 had a significant effect on earlier onset of gout and the presence of a familial gout history. ABCG2 should thus be considered a common and significant risk factor for gout.

Genetic background of uric acid metabolism in a patient with severe chronic tophaceous gout.

Hyperuricemia depends on the balance of endogenous production and renal excretion of uric acid. Transporters for urate are located in the proximal tubule where uric acid is secreted and extensively reabsorbed: secretion is principally ensured by the highly variable ABCG2 gene. Enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) plays a central role in purine metabolism and its deficiency is an X-linked inherited metabolic disorder associated with clinical manifestations of purine overproduction. Here we report the case of a middle-aged man with severe chronic tophaceous gout with a poor response to allopurinol and requiring repeated surgical intervention. We identified the causal mutations in the HPRT1 gene, variant c.481G>T (p.A161S), and in the crucial urate transporter ABCG2, a heterozygous variant c.421C>A (p.Q141K). This case shows the value of an analysis of the genetic background of serum uric acid.