Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40170058›Full record

ArticleArthritis research & therapy2025

Modulating IL-21-driven B cell responses in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies via inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway.

Ana Merino-Vico, Merve Kocyigit, Giulia Frazzei, Lisa Landman, Louis Boon, Ester M van Leeuwen, Ingrid E Lundberg, Anneke J van der Kooi, Joost Raaphorst, Jan Piet van Hamburg and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis research & therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Targeted Therapy for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ana Merino-Vico *Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Merve Kocyigit *Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Giulia FrazzeiDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Lisa LandmanDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Louis BoonJJP Biologics, Warsaw, Poland.
Ester M van LeeuwenDepartment of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Ingrid E LundbergDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Rheumatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
Anneke J van der KooiDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Joost RaaphorstDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Jan Piet van HamburgDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Sander W TasDepartment of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. s.w.tas@amsterdamumc.nl.

Funding

Dutch Arthritis Foundation grant 22-1-404European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 847551
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIdiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are autoimmune disorders characterized by muscle inflammation and autoreactive B cell responses. The Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is essential for B cell functions, making it a promising therapeutic target. This study explores the potential of tofacitinib, a JAK1/JAK3 inhibitor, to modulate B cell activity in IIM.

methodsPeripheral B cell populations from dermatomyositis (DM), anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) and overlap myositis (OM) patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or sorted memory B cells were cultured with tofacitinib and stimulated with combinations of CD40, IL-21, IL-2, BAFF and CpG. B cell proliferation, differentiation and (auto)antibody, cytokine/chemokine production were assessed by flow cytometry, Luminex, and ELISA/ELiA assays.

resultsThe IIM peripheral B cell compartment had elevated transitional and naive B cells, with reduced Bmem frequencies compared to healthy donors. Tofacitinib significantly inhibited CD40/IL-21-induced B cell proliferation, plasmablast formation and function in PBMC and B cell-only cultures across all IIM subgroups, predominantly affecting the IL-21-induced differentiation and antibody production. Remarkably, tofacitinib reduced the levels of anti-Jo1 autoantibodies, as well as of CXCL10 and CXCL13 in ASyS memory B cell cultures.

conclusionsThese findings highlight the B cell involvement in IIM, evidenced by altered peripheral B cell composition in active disease and the effective inhibition of essential B cell responses, including proliferation, differentiation, and (auto)antibody production, by tofacitinib in vitro. This positions the JAK/STAT pathway as a promising new therapeutic target to modulate B cell activity in IIM.

Indexed as

B-LymphocytesInterleukin-21Janus KinasesMyositisPyrimidinesSTAT Transcription FactorsAdultAgedCells, CulturedFemaleFlow CytometryHumansInterleukinsMaleMiddle AgedPiperidinesInterleukin-21InterleukinsJanus KinasesPiperidinesPyrimidinesPyrrolesSTAT Transcription FactorstofacitinibB cellJAKMyositisPlasma cellTofacitinib

Identifiers

PMID40170058
PMCPMC11963324

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.