Javid Morad Abbasi - Immunology Research Center, BuAli Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Maryam Rastin - Immunology Research Center, BuAli Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Zahra Rezaieyazdi - Rheumatic Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Zahra Mirfeizi - Rheumatic Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Seyed-Mohammad Moazzeni - Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Nafise Tabasi - Immunology Research Center, BuAli Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Azam Brook - Immunology Research Center, BuAli Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mahmoud Mahmoudi - Immunology Research Center, BuAli Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Objective(s) Recent studies on human indicate that the introduction of therapeutic use of tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) for chronic inflammatory conditions is imminent. For the purpose of defining CGRP potency in tolerogenic DC production, we investigated the phenotype and IL-'۲ production of DCs generated from the monocytes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the presence of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), as a multifunctional neuropeptide. Materials and Methods DCs were generated from isolated monocytes from four resistant and two early female RA patients using IL- ۴, GM-CSF, and CGRP at concentrations of ۰, ', and '۰۰ nM. Then, the phenotype of neuropeptide-treated or untreated DCs was determined using flow cytometry and the IL-'۲ production was measured by ELISA. Results Our study showed that, on the last day of the culture, at a concentration of ' nM CGRP, the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) for CD۸۰ increased ('۴.'۳%) and the MFIs for CD۸۳, CD۸۶, and HLA-DR decreased ('۴.۵۷%, ۵.۲۸%, and ۶.۸۸% respectively). Moreover, at '۰۰ nM CGRP concentration, the MFI for CD۸۰ increased (''.'۰%) and the MFIs for CD۸۳, CD۸۶, and HLA-DR decreased (۴.۲۷%, '۸.۶۰%, and '۹.۷۵% respectively). In addition, our results indicated that the mean concentrations of IL-'۲ produced at ۰, ', and '۰۰ nm CGRP concentrations measured '۳.۷۲±۲.۴', ''.۰'±'.۶', and ۷±'.۳۴ pg/ml respectively. Conclusion Decreased CD۸۳, CD۸۶, and HLA-DR expression and reduced IL-'۲ production by CGRP were found in the RA patients' monocyte-derived DCs. CD۸۳ is a well-defined DC activation marker. HLA-DR and CD۸۶ are appropriate molecules for inducing an immune response. IL-'۲ promotes cell-mediated immunity. Therefore we suggest that CGRP may be used as an inducer in the production of tolerogenic DCs.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide, Dendritic cell, Immune tolerance, Rheumatoid arthritis