Activating TLR8 Primes Monocytes Isolated From Blood Of People With SSc To Produce Excess Amounts Of IL-10 That May Contribute To Abnormal Growth Of Fibrotic Tissue, Research Finds

Scleroderma News Today (10/1, Maia) reports research found that “activating TLR8, a viral defense mechanism involved in tissue fibrosis (scarring), primes monocytes isolated from the blood of people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) to produce excess amounts of a...molecule called IL-10 that can contribute to the abnormal growth of fibrotic tissue.” The researchers said, “In contrast to the previously published hypothesis of aberrant TLR8 expression [presence] in [plasmacytoid dendritic cells], we suggest that in patients with SSc, TLR8 signaling in monocytes results in increased IL-10 levels and thus contributes to SSc.” The findings were published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.