Arthritis Research Group
What we do
Our research focus is centred on common types of arthritis and related autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We seek to explore underlying mechanisms operating in these diseases, and how they are managed, with the aim of developing new or improved treatments. Our current research programs include studying:
- the role of mast cell tryptases in inflammatory arthritis;
- how variable splicing of mast cell tryptase genes regulates their structural and functional properties;
- the role of S100 proteins in RA and SLE (with collaborator Prof Carolyn Geczy);
- the role of leukocyte immunoglogulin-like receptors (LILRs) in RA and SLE (with collaborator A/Prof Nicodemus Tedla);
- the significance of autoantibodies to lipoproteins and acute phase reactants in SLE.
Major Researchers
Further information
Other staff members:
Dr Mahroo Parsi (Post-doctoral scientist)
Ms Natalia Magarinos (PhD Student)
Dr Chandi Perera (PhD Student)
Dr Barry Kane (PhD Student)
Selected Publications
Bryant KJ, Bidgood MJ, Lei P-W, Taberner M, Salom C, Kumar V, Lee L, Church WB, Courtenay B, Smart BP, Gelb MH, Graham GG,
McNeil HP, Scott K. A bifunctional role for group IIA secreted phospholipase A2 in human rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocyte arachidonic acid metabolism.
J Biol Chem 2011;286:2492-2503.
An H, Chandra V, Piraino P, Borges L, Geczy CL,
McNeil HP,
Bryant K, Tedla N. Soluble LILRA3, a potential natural anti-inflammatory protein is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and is tightly regulated by IL-10, TNFá and IFNã.
J. Rheumatol. 2010;37:1596-1606.
O'Neill SG. Giles I. Lambrianides A. Manson J. D'Cruz D. Schrieber L. March LM. Latchman DS. Isenberg DA. Rahman A. Antibodies to apolipoprotein A-I, high-density lipoprotein, and C-reactive protein are associated with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Arthritis Rheum 2010;62:845-854
Perera C, McNeil HP, Geczy CL. S100 proteins in inflammatory arthritis.
Immunol Cell Biol 2010;88:41-49.
Shin K, Nigrovic PA, Crish J, Boilard E,
McNeil HP, Larabee KS, Adachi R, Gurish MF, Gobezie R, Stevens RL, Lee DM. Mast cells contribute to autoimmune inflammatory arthritis via their tryptase/heparin complexes.
J Immunol 2009;182:647-656.
Lu HK, Rentero C, Raftery MJ, Borges L,
Bryant K, Tedla N. Leukocyte Ig-like receptor B4 (LILRB4) is a potent inhibitor of FcgammaRI-mediated monocyte activation via dephosphorylation of multiple kinases.
J Biol Chem. 2009;284:34839-48.
McNeil HP, Shin K, Campbell IK, Wicks IP, Adachi R, Lee DM, Stevens RL. The mast cell-restricted tetramer-forming tryptases mMCP-6 and mMCP-7 are critical mediators in inflammatory arthritis.
Arthritis Rheumatism 2008;58:2338-2346.
Mitchell A, Rentero C, Endoh Y, Hsu, K, Gaus K, Geczy C,
McNeil HP, Borges L, Tedla N. LILRA5 is expressed by synovial tissue macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis, selectively induces proinflammatory cytokines and IL-10 and is regulated by TNF-?, IL-10 and IFN?.
Eur J Immunol. 2008;38:3459-3473.
Jackson NE, Wang H-W,
Bryant KJ,
McNeil HP, Husain A, Liu K, Tedla N, Thomas PS, King GC, Hettiaratchi A, Cairns J,
Hunt JE. Alternate mRNA splicing in multiple human tryptase genes is predicted to regulate tetramer formation.
J Biol Chem. 2008;283:34178-34187.
Cai, H, Song C, Endoh I, Goyette J, Jessup W, Freedman SB,
McNeil HP, Geczy CL. Serum amyloid A induces monocyte tissue factor.
J Immunol. 2007;178:1852-1860.
Huynh O, Hampartzoumian T, Arm J,
Hunt JE, Borges L, Ahern M, Smith M, Geczy C,
McNeil HP, Tedla N. Down regulation of leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor expression in the synovium of rheumatoid arthritis patients after treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Rheumatology 2007;46:742-751.
McNeil HP, Adachi R, Stevens RL. Mast cell-restricted tryptases: structure and function in inflammation and pathogen defense.
J.Biol.Chem. 2007;282:20785-20789.
O’Neill SG, Isenberg DA, Rahman A. Could antibodies to C-reactive protein link inflammation and cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus?
Ann Rheum Dis 2007; 66:989-991.
Song C, Nakagomi A, Chandar S, Cai H, Lim IGS,
McNeil HP, Freedman B, Geczy CL. C-reactive protein contributes to the hypercoagulable state in coronary artery disease.
J Thromb Haemost 2006;4:98-106
Di Girolamo N, Indoh I, Jackson N, Wakefield D,
McNeil HP, Yan W, Geczy C, Arm JP, Tedla N. Human mast cell-derived gelatinase B (matrix metalloproteinase-9) is regulated by inflammatory cytokines: role in cell migration.
J Immunol 2006;177:2638-2650.
Wei XM, Kim HS, Kumar RK, Heywood GJ,
Hunt JE,
McNeil HP, Thomas PS. Effects of cigarette smoke on degranulation and NO production by mast cells and epithelial cells.
Respiratory Research 2005;6:108-116.
Jackson NE, Wang HW, Tedla N,
McNeil HP, Geczy CL, Collins A, Grimm MC, Hampartzoumian T,
Hunt JE. IL-15 induces mast cell migration via a pertussis toxin-sensitive receptor.
Eur J Immunol. 2005:35;2376-2385
Nicole E. Jackson, Hong-Wei Wang, Nicodemus Tedla,
H. Patrick McNeil, Carolyn L. Geczy, Andrew Collins, Michael C. Grimm, Taline Hampartzoumian and
John E. Hunt IL-15 induces mast cell migration via a pertussis toxin-sensitive receptor.
Eur. J. Immunol. August 2005. 35: 2376-2385.
Wang HW, Tedla N,
Hunt JE, Wakefield D,
McNeil HP. Mast cell accumulation and cytokine expression in the tight skin mouse model of scleroderma.
Exp. Dermatol 2005. 14:295-302
Li M, Liu K, Michalicek J, Angus JA,
Hunt JE, Dell’Italia LJ, Feneley MP, Graham RM, Husain A: Involvement of chymase-mediated angiotensin II generation in blood pressure regulation.
J Clin Invest. 2004. 114: 112-120.
Hong-Wei Wang,
H. Patrick McNeil, Ahsan Husain, Ke Liu, Nicodemus Tedla, Paul S. Thomas, Mark Raftery, Garry C. King, Zhao Yan Cai, and
John E. Hunt. Delta Tryptase Is Expressed in Multiple Human Tissues, and a Recombinant Form Has Proteolytic Activity
J Immunol 2002 169: 5145-5152.
Hunt JE, Friend DS, Gurish MF, Feyfant E, Sali A, Huang C, Ghildyal N, Stechshulte S, Austen KF and Stevens RL. Mouse Mast Cell Protease 9, a Novel Member of the Chromosome 14 Family of Serine Proteases that is Selectively Expressed in Uterine Mast Cells.
J. Biol Chem. 1997, 272: 29158-29166.
Friend DS, Gurish MF,
Hunt JE, Austen KF, and Stevens RL. Senescent Jejunal Mast Cells and Eosinophils Preferentially Translocate to the Spleen and Draining Lymph Nodes, Respectively, During the Recovery Phase of Helminth Infection.
J. Immunolgy. 2000 165. 344-352.
Huang C, Li L, Krilis SA, Chanasyk K, Tang Y, Li Z,
Hunt JE, and Stevens RL. Human Tryptases alpha and beta are functionally distinct, due in part to a single amino acid difference in one of the surface loops that forms the substrate binding cleft.
J. Biol Chem. 1999, 274: 19670-19676.
Friend DS, Ghildyal N, Gurish MF,
Hunt JE, Hu X, Austen KF, Stevens RL. Recruitment, Reversible Differentiation, and Fate of Mast Cells in the Jejunum of Mice infected with Trichinella spiralis.
J. Immunolgy. 1998, 160:5537-5545.
Huang C, Friend DS, Qiu D, Wong GW, Morales G,
Hunt JE and Stevens RL. Induction of a Selective and Persistent Extravasation of Neutrophils into the Peritoneal Cavity by the Tryptase Mouse Mast Cell Protease 6.
J. Immunol. 1998, 160: 1910-1919.
McNeil HP. Aetiological pathways in osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis. APLAR
J. Rheumatol. 1998.2:139-142.
Gotis-Graham I, Smith M, Parker A,
McNeil HP. Synovial mast cell responses during clinical improvement in early rheumatoid arthritis.
Annals Rheum. Dis. 1998.57:664-671.
Wang H, Tedla N, Lloyd A, Wakefield D,
McNeil HP. Mast cell activation and migration to lymph nodes during induction of an immune response in mice.
J.Clin.Invest. 1998.102:1617-1626.
Tedla N, Wang H,
McNeil HP, DiGiralamo N, Hampartzoumian T, Wakefield D, Lloyd A. Regulation of T lymphocyte trafficking into lymph nodes during an immune response by the chemokines, MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta.
J.Immunol. 1998;161:5663-5672.
Visvanathan S.
McNeil HP. Cellular immunity to b2glycoprotein I in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome.
J.Immunol. 1999;162:6919-6925.
Wong P,
McNeil HP, Bertouch JV, Wakefield D, Youssef PP. Monoclonal gammopathy: benign or not?
Aust.N.Z.J.Med. 1999.29:278-279.
Field S, Brighton TA,
McNeil HP, Chesterman CN. Recent insights into antiphospholipid antibody-mediated thrombosis.
Bailliere’s Clinical Haematology 1999.40:407-422.
McNeil HP, Gotis-Graham I. Human mast cell subsets - distinct functions in inflammation ?
Inflammation Research. 2000,49:3-7.
Visvanathan S, Geczy CL, Harmer JA,
McNeil HP. Monocyte tissue factor induction by activation of b2-glycoprotein-1-specific T lymphocytes is associated with thrombosis and fetal loss in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies.
J.Immunol. 2000.165: 2258-2262.
Kumar RK, Temelkovski J,
McNeil HP, Hunter N. Airway inflammation in a murine model of chronic asthma: evidence for a local humoral immune response.
Clin.Exp.Allergy 2000.30:1486-1492.
Gibson KA, Kumar R, Tedla N, Gotis-Graham I,
McNeil HP. Expression of the aEb7 integrin by mast cells in rheumatoid synovium.
J.Rheumatol. 2000.27:2754-2760.
Katrib A, Tak PP, Bertouch JV, Cuello C,
McNeil HP, Smeets TJ, Kraan MC, Youssef PP. Expression of chemokines and matrix metalloproteinases in early rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatology 2001;40:988-994.
Lee L, Lawford R,
McNeil HP. The efficacy of thalidomide in severe refractory seronegative spondyloarthropathy.
Arthritis Rheum. 2001;44:2456-2457.
Lim IGS, Spira PJ,
McNeil HP. Headache as the initial presentation of Wegener’s granulomatosis.
Annals Rheum.Dis. (in press )