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Spondyloarthritis encompasses a group of common inflammatory diseases thought to be driven by IL-17A-secreting type-17 lymphocytes. Here we show increased numbers of GM-CSF-producing CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes in the blood and joints of patients with spondyloarthritis, and increased numbers of IL-17A+GM-CSF+ double-producing CD4, CD8, γδ and NK cells. GM-CSF production in CD4 T cells occurs both independently and in combination with classical Th1 and Th17 cytokines. Type 3 innate lymphoid cells producing predominantly GM-CSF are expanded in synovial tissues from patients with spondyloarthritis. GM-CSF+CD4+ cells, isolated using a triple cytokine capture approach, have a specific transcriptional signature. Both GM-CSF+ and IL-17A+GM-CSF+ double-producing CD4 T cells express increased levels of GPR65, a proton-sensing receptor associated with spondyloarthritis in genome-wide association studies and pathogenicity in murine inflammatory disease models. Silencing GPR65 in primary CD4 T cells reduces GM-CSF production. GM-CSF and GPR65 may thus serve as targets for therapeutic intervention of spondyloarthritis.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/s41467-017-01771-2

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Commun

Publication Date

15/11/2017

Volume

8

Keywords

Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Female, Genome-Wide Association Study, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor, Humans, Male, Mice, Middle Aged, Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled, Spondylarthritis, Transcriptome, Young Adult