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- Title
Responsiveness of peripheral blood B cells to recombinant CD40 ligand in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Authors
Harigai, M.; Hara, M.; Fukasawa, C.; Nakazawa, S.; Kawaguchi, Y.; Kamatani, N.; Kashiwazaki, S.
- Abstract
Objective: To investigate the immunopathological significance of CD40/CD40 ligand system for B cell hyperactivation in SLE patients, the expression and the function of CD40 on B cells were compared with those of normal controls. Methods: Expression of CD40 was evaluated by flow cytometry. DNA synthesis of B cells were measured by [sup 3]H-TdR incorporation. Antibody production was assessed by ELISA. Results: There was no significant difference between SLE and normal controls in CD40 expression on peripheral blood B cells. Recombinant CD40 ligand-leucine zipper fusion protein (CD40L-LZ) significantly enhanced [sup 3]H-TdR incorporation by both SLE and normal B cells (P<0.01)[sup 3]H-TdR} incorporation of SLE B cells without stimuli (P<0.001) and with CD40L-LZ stimulation (P<0.05) were significantly lower in SLE patients compared with normal controls. Active SLE B cells spontaneously produced significantly larger amounts of total IgG than normal B cells (P<0.05). CD40L-LZ significantly increased the production of total IgG by SLE B cells (P<0.05), but not by normal B cells. Active SLE B cells spontaneously produced IgG anti-dsDNA and IgG anti-ssDNA antibodies. CD40L-LZ significantly increased the production of these autoantibodies by SLE B cells (P<0.05). B cells from normal controls do not produce these autoantibodies spontaneously nor in response to CD40L-LZ. Conclusion: These findings indicate that signalling via CD40 plays an important role in B cell proliferation and autoantibody production in human SLE.
- Subjects
LIGANDS (Biochemistry); B cells; SYSTEMIC lupus erythematosus; IMMUNOGLOBULINS
- Publication
Lupus, 1999, Vol 8, Issue 3, p227
- ISSN
0961-2033
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1191/096120399678847678