Expression of a PYCARD/ASC variant lacking exon 2 in Japanese patients with palindromic rheumatism increases interleukin-1β secretion.

BACKGROUND

Palindromic rheumatism (PR) is a rare periodic arthritis characterized by relapsing short episodes of arthritis. Although the pathogenesis of PR is still unclear, the clinical condition is similar to that of autoinflammatory diseases caused by dysregulation of inflammasome-related genes.

OBJECTIVE

We analyzed the inflammasome adapter PYD and CARD domain-containing protein/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (PYCARD/ASC) in Japanese patients with PR.

METHODS

Serum interleukin (IL)-1β concentrations in three Japanese patients with PR were measured. We also cloned PYCARD/ASC cDNA variants and expressed them in THP-1 cells to determine their effects on inflammasome activity following stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and monosodium urate. Lysates of recombinant THP-1 cells were subjected to co-immunoprecipitation assays.

RESULTS

Serum IL-1β concentrations were significantly elevated in patients with PR, and a splice variant of PYCARD/ ASC mRNA lacking exon 2 (Δexon2) was dominantly expressed compared with that in controls. Moreover, IL-1β secretion was significantly increased in THP-1 cells expressing Δexon2PYCARD/ASC compared with that in cells expressing the wild-type protein. The amount of NLRP3 bound to Δexon2PYCARD/ASC was increased after stimulation, whereas that bound to the wild-type protein was decreased. There were no differences in caspase-1 binding.

CONCLUSIONS

Δexon2 PYCARD/ASC was associated with the pathogenesis of PR.