Granada researchers discover new molecular mechanisms involved in the development of arteritis

A study conducted by researchers from the López-Neira Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine (IPBLN), part of the Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) and located in Granada, has opened up new insights into giant cell arteritis (GCA), an inflammatory disease that affects large blood vessels and whose exact cause is difficult to understand.

Giant cell arteritis is characterized by inflammation of the arteries that can cause a wide range of symptoms, some as serious as irreversible vision loss or stroke. Currently, due to the lack of diagnostic and treatment options, it is essential to have a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in its development, the CSIC statement said.

CD4+ T cells are a class of immune system cells involved in protecting against disease. In giant cell arteritis, these cells change and secrete molecules that promote inflammation. However, the altered molecular mechanisms responsible for these cells triggering inflammation in the arteries remain unknown.

The study was published in the prestigious journal Autoimmunity. Journal of Autoimmunity and led by researchers Elkin Estupiñán, Lourdes Ortiz and Javier Martin from IPBLN, focused on analysing how CD4+ T cells behave in GCA patients at different stages of the disease. The CSIC team of researchers studied the complete expression profile of these cells in 70 patients diagnosed with GCA and 28 healthy controls.

This study has allowed us to better understand the role these cells play in the arterial inflammation seen in GCA. The results showed that CD4+ T cells from patients with active disease showed significant differences in the expression of certain genes associated with the immune system. In addition, the study examined how certain molecular pathways, such as those related to interleukin (proteins that regulate the immune response) signaling, may be involved in the development and progression of the disease. Changes were also observed in programmed cell death pathways and in the interactions between T cells and monocytes, another type of immune cell also involved in the development of this pathology.

This study, which also involved researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute of the Barcelona Hospital Clinic, has led to a better understanding of the biological processes involved in the development of giant cell arteritis. These findings can be translated into clinical practice by identifying biomarkers that can help improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from this serious disease.