Critical proinflammatory role of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and its receptor in experimental autoimmune arthritis.

Objective The interleukin-7 (IL-7)-related cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a potent activator of myeloid dendritic cells, enhancing Th2-mediated hypersensitivity, and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic diseases. Although intraarticular concentrations of TSLP have been shown to be increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the functional capacities of TSLP in arthritis are poorly studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of TSLP administration and TSLP receptor deficiency on immune activation, arthritis severity, and tissue destruction in T cell-driven arthritis models of RA. Methods Immunopathology was studied in arthritic mice that were given multiple injections of murine recombinant TSLP and in mice that were deficient in the TSLP receptor (TSLPR [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]