TY - JOUR TI - A link between interferon and augmented plasmin generation in exocrine gland damage in Sjogren's syndrome AU - Gliozzi, Maria AU - Greenwell-Wild, Teresa AU - Jin, Wenwen and AU - Moutsopoulos, Niki M. AU - Kapsogeorgou, Efstathia AU - Moutsopoulos, AU - Haralampos M. AU - Wahl, Sharon M. JO - Journal of Autoimmune Diseases PY - 2013 VL - 40 TODO - null SP - 122-133 PB - ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD SN - 1740-2557 TODO - 10.1016/j.jaut.2012.09.003 TODO - tPA; Macrophage; Salivary gland; Cytokine; Plasminogen; MMP TODO - Sjogren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that targets exocrine glands, but often exhibits systemic manifestations. Infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands by lymphoid and myeloid cells orchestrates a perpetuating immune response leading to exocrine gland damage and dysfunction. Th1 and Th17 lymphocyte populations and their products recruit additional lymphocytes, including B cells, but also large numbers of macrophages, which accumulate with disease progression. In addition to cytokines, chemokines, chitinases, and lipid mediators, macrophages contribute to a proteolytic milieu, underlying tissue destruction,, inappropriate repair, and compromised glandular functions. Among the proteases enhanced in this local, environment are matrix metalloproteases (MMP) and plasmin, generated by plasminogen activation, dependent upon plasminogen activators, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Not previously associated with salivary gland pathology, our evidence implicates enhanced tPA in the context of inflamed salivary glands revolving around lymphocyte-mediated activation of macrophages. Tracking down the mechanism of macrophage plasmin activation, the cytokines IFN gamma and to a lesser extent, IFN alpha, via Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activation, were found to be pivotal for driving the plasmin cascade of proteolytic events culminating in perpetuation of the inflammation and tissue damage, and suggesting intervention strategies to blunt irreversible tissue destruction. Published by Elsevier Ltd. ER -