IL1R8 deficiency drives autoimmunity-associated lymphoma development

Chronic inflammation, including that driven by autoimmunity, is associated with the development of B-cell lymphomas. IL1R8 is a regulatory receptor belonging to the IL1R family, which negatively regulates NF-κB activation following stimulation of IL1R or Toll-like receptor family members. IL1R8 deficiency is associated with the development of severe autoimmune lupus-like disease in lpr mice. We herein investigated whether concomitant exacerbated inflammation and autoimmunity caused by the deficiency of IL1R8 could recapitulate autoimmunity-associated lymphomagenesis. We thus monitored B-cell lymphoma development during the aging of IL1R8-deficient lpr mice, observing an increased lymphoid cell expansion that evolved to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Molecular and gene-expression analyses showed that the NF-κB pathway was constitutively activated in Il1r8^-/- /lpr B splenocytes. In human DLBCL, IL1R8 had reduced expression compared with normal B cells, and higher IL1R8 expression was associated with a better outcome. Thus, IL1R8 silencing is associated with increased lymphoproliferation and transformation in the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphomas associated with autoimmunity.