Researchers identify pathway that jumpstarts the autoimmune response in lupus

Main Category: Lupus
Article Date: 21 Jan 2005 - 4:00 PST

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Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) produce autoantibodies to their own proteins and DNA and the resultant inflammation can cause kidney damage, arthritis, and inflammation of the heart and blood vessels.

Andrew Luster and colleagues from Harvard Medical School have shown that large aggregates of antibody-antigen complexes that contain DNA (known as DNA-containing immune complexes), isolated from the serum of lupus patients stimulate dendritic cells - cells that identify foreign invaders and jumpstart the immune response.

This series of events is dependent on the molecule known as Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). Interestingly, serum or immune complexes isolated from patients with other autoimmune rheumatic diseases did not have this effect.

The authors found that this stimulation requires the presence of DNA as well as what is known as the Fc part of immunoglobulin G, and that stimulation of dendritic cells in this manner caused the production of many proinflammatory factors that likely contribute to the development of SLE.

The study will appear online on January 20 in advance of print publication in the February 1 edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

TITLE: Human lupus autoantibody-DNA complexes activate DCs through cooperation of CD32 and TLR9.

AUTHOR CONTACT: Andrew D. Luster
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts USA.
Phone: 617-726-5710; Fax: 617-726-5651; E-mail: aluster@partners.org.

View the PDF of this article at: https://www.the-jci.org/press/23025.pdf

From 5:00PM USA EST Thursday January 20, 2005 a PDF of this article will be available at
: http://www.jci.org/papbyrecent.shtml
JCI table of contents, January 20 2005
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T cells target HIV in a relationship on the rebound
T cell escape from thymic Alcatraz
Researchers identify pathway that jumpstarts the autoimmune response in lupus
Erratic lymphatics contribute to asthma
An IL-6 sense balances pro- and anti-inflammatory effects during asthma
With a little help from its friends, RANKL drives bone loss
Slain brain cells cause mental retardation syndrome

Brooke Grindlinger
press_releases@the-jci.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation