{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T05:18:43Z","timestamp":1787635123159,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787616000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Pararamosis, or pararama-associated phalangeal periarthritis, is a neglected tropical disease affecting rubber tappers in the Amazon, caused by contact with the urticating bristles of the\n                      <jats:italic>Premolis semirufa<\/jats:italic>\n                      caterpillar. This condition leads to chronic synovitis and progressive cartilage degradation, key features shared with other osteoarticular conditions such as osteoarthritis.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      We investigated the inflammatory mechanisms of pararamosis by examining macrophage polarization and the subsequent crosstalk with chondrocytes. THP-1-derived macrophages were treated with\n                      <jats:italic>P. semirufa<\/jats:italic>\n                      bristles extract (PsE) to assess polarization and inflammasome activation. Furthermore, we compared inflammatory and catabolic markers in chondrocyte monocultures\n                      <jats:italic>versus<\/jats:italic>\n                      macrophage-chondrocyte co-cultures.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      PsE stimulation induced a robust M1 macrophage phenotype, evidenced by the upregulation of CD80, CD86, and TLR2, alongside increased expression of inflammasome components (\n                      <jats:italic>NLRP3<\/jats:italic>\n                      and\n                      <jats:italic>CASP1<\/jats:italic>\n                      ) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (\n                      <jats:italic>IL1B, IL6, IL8, IL23A<\/jats:italic>\n                      , and\n                      <jats:italic>IL33<\/jats:italic>\n                      ). These transcriptional changes were accompanied by increased IL-1\u03b2, IL-6, and TNF-\u03b1 secretion, confirming the pro-inflammatory phenotype. While PsE directly induced chondrocytes to express matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inflammatory cytokines, these effects were significantly amplified in co-culture. The macrophage-chondrocyte interaction exacerbated the secretion of IL-6, IL-11, IL-23, CCL2, CCL5, MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13. Crucially, antibody-mediated neutralization of IL-1\u03b2 in co-cultures significantly attenuated the production of IL-11, IL-23, MMP-1, and MMP-3, while other pathways likely contribute to the regulation of additional inflammatory mediators.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Our findings demonstrate that PsE promotes a sustained pro-inflammatory macrophage response and establishes a pathogenic crosstalk between macrophages and chondrocytes that amplifies inflammatory and catabolic signaling. The data identify IL-1\u03b2 as a major regulator of this interaction and support the involvement of inflammasome-related pathways in the response to PsE. These results advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying pararamosis and reveal biological features shared with osteoarthritis, providing a foundation for future studies aimed at validating the role of IL-1\u03b2 and other inflammatory mediators\n                      <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      .\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2026.1880784","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T04:23:13Z","timestamp":1787631793000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["IL-1\u03b2 as an important mediator of macrophage\u2013chondrocyte crosstalk in pararamosis (rainforest arthritis)"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Paula C.","family":"Pohl","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Immunochemistry Laboratory, Butantan Institute","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, SP, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luiza N. 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