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382 The Role of the IL-6-IGF-II Axis in Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Lung Fibrosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2023

Adegboyega Timothy Adewale
Affiliation:
Medical University of South Carolina
Carol Feghali-Bostwick
Affiliation:
Medical University of South Carolina
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Abstract

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OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Interleukin (IL)-6 is produced in excess in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Likewise, microarray analysis of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-II-treated NL fibroblasts revealed increased expression of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, BHLHB2. Our goal is to delineate the role of BHLHB2 in the fibrotic response to IGF-II and IL-6. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Primary lung fibroblasts were cultured from human lung tissues at 37oC and 5% CO2. Cell cultures were stimulated with IL-6. Gene expression was measured using quantitative PCR (qPCR). IGF-II mRNA expression levels after IL-6 stimulation were compared with those of the housekeeping gene PPIB (Peptidylprolyl Isomerase B). Western blot was performed on nuclear and chromatin-bound subcellular fractions from treated lung fibroblasts. BHLHB2 protein levels were assayed in response to IGF-II in comparison to PBS as vehicle control. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Results: Our results show that IL-6 increases IGF-II levels in fibroblasts. In turn, IGF-II increases BHLHB2 nuclear localization. We further show that IL-6 increases BHLHB2 levels and its nuclear localization in lung fibroblasts. Our findings are novel since the role of the transcription factor BHLHB2 in the IL-6 induced/ IGF-II-mediated fibrotic response in SSc lung disease remains unexplored. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings may provide a rationale for combination therapy to block IL-6 and IGF-II function concomitantly and thus halt the progression of SSc pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Our findings may have wide implications for lung fibrosis associated with various diseases, since SSc-PF, is characterized by the activation of common fibrotic pathways.

Type
Precision Medicine/Health
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. The Association for Clinical and Translational Science