Oral administration of Domain-I of beta-2glycoprotein-I induces immunological tolerance in experimental murine antiphospholipid syndrome

It is well established that the humoral immunity in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is presented by circulating pathogenic anti-β2GPI autoantibodies targeting mainly domain I of the β2GPI protein, playing a major role in the disease pathogenesis. Previously, we have demonstrated that treatment of experimental APS mice with tolerogenic dendritic cells loaded with domain-I was more efficient in tolerance induction than with the whole molecule or domain-V. In the current study we had orally administered a domain-I derivative of the β2GPI molecule, as a new therapeutic approach to induce oral tolerance in this mouse model of APS. BALB/c mice immunized with β2GPI, were fed with either domain-I, domain-V derivative or the complete β2GPI protein. β2GPI immunized mice developed experimental APS which were fed with domain-I significantly had decreased fetal loss (p < 0.004), a lower size of thrombi (p < 0.001) and lower circulating anti-β2GPI Abs in comparison to mice fed with domain-V or PBS (p < 0.002). Likewise, Domain-I fed mice had a lowered inflammatory response, exhibited by decreased expression of inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, IL-6, IL-17) and elevated production of IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine by splenocytes. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory response in the domain-I fed APS mice was associated with increased circulating miRNA variations (155, 146, 182, 98) by RT-PCR, which are associated with immunomodulation of the immune network. We propose that oral tolerance with domain-I can be a novel therapy for patients with APS.