Contribution of B-1a cells to systemic lupus erythematosus in the NZM2410 mouse model

High throughput sequencing revealed enhanced cell cycle signaling in SLE patients

The multi-system involvement and high heterogeneity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pose great challenges to its diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of the current study is to identify genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. High throughput sequencing was performed on the PBMCs from SLE patients. We conducted differential gene analysis, gene ontology (GO) analysis, kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) verification. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, alternative splicing analysis, and disease correlation analysis were conducted on some key pathogenic genes as well. Furthermore, si-CDC6 was used for transfection and cell proliferation was monitored using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. We identified 2495 differential genes (1494 upregulated and 1001 downregulated) in SLE patients compared with healthy controls. The significantly upregulated genes were enriched in the biological process-related GO terms of the cell cycle, response to stress, and chromosome organization. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed 7 significantly upregulated pathways including SLE, alcoholism, viral carcinogenesis, cell cycle, proteasome, malaria, and transcriptional misregulation in cancer. We successfully verified some differential genes on the SLE pathway and the cell cycle pathway. CDC6, a key gene in the cell cycle pathway, had remarkably higher MXE alternative splicing events in SLE patients than that in controls, which may explain its significant upregulation in SLE patients. We found that CDC6 participates in the pathogenesis of many proliferation-related diseases and its levels are positively correlated with the severity of SLE. Knockdown of CDC6 suppressed the proliferation of Hela cells and PBMCs from SLE patients in vitro. We identified SLE-related genes and their alternative splicing events. The cell cycle pathway and the cell cycle-related biological processes are over-activated in SLE patients. We revealed a higher incidence of MXE events of CDC6, which may lead to its high expression in SLE patients. Upregulated cell cycle signaling and CDC6 may be related to the hyperproliferation and pathogenesis of SLE.

The Role of B1 Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by multisystemic and multi-organ involvement, recurrent relapses and remissions, and the presence of large amounts of autoantibodies in the body as the main clinical features. The mechanisms involved in this disease are complex and remain poorly understood; however, they are generally believed to be related to genetic susceptibility factors, external stimulation of the body’s immune dysfunction, and impaired immune regulation. The main immune disorders include the imbalance of T lymphocyte subsets, hyperfunction of B cells, production of large amounts of autoantibodies, and further deposition of immune complexes, which result in tissue damage. Among these, B cells play a major role as antibody-producing cells and have been studied extensively. B1 cells are a group of important innate-like immune cells, which participate in various innate and autoimmune processes. Yet the role of B1 cells in SLE remains unclear. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of B1 cells in SLE to provide new directions to explore the pathogenesis and treatment modalities of SLE.

CD3+ B-1a Cells as a Mediator of Disease Progression in Autoimmune-Prone Mice

B-1a cells are distinguishable from conventional B cells, which are designated B-2 cells, on the basis of their developmental origin, surface marker expression, and functions. In addition to the unique expression of the CD5 antigen, B-1a cells are characterized by the expression level of CD23. Although B-1a cells are considered to be independent of T cells and produce natural autoantibodies that induce the clinical manifestations of autoimmune diseases, there is much debate on the role of B-1a cells in the development of autoimmune diseases. We examined the involvement of B-1a cells in autoimmune-prone mice with the lpr gene. MRL/lpr and B6/lpr mice exhibited lupus and lymphoproliferative syndromes because of the massive accumulation of CD3+CD4-CD8-B220+ T cells. Interestingly, the B220+CD23-CD5+ (B-1a) cell population in the peripheral blood and peritoneal cavity increased with age and disease progression. Ninety percent of B-1a cells were CD3 positive (CD3+ B-1a cells) and did not produce tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, or interleukin-10. To test the possible involvement of CD3+ B-1a cells in autoimmune disease, we tried to eliminate the peripheral cells by hypotonic shock through repeated intraperitoneal injections of distilled water. The fraction of peritoneal CD3+ B-1a cells decreased, and symptoms of the autoimmune disease were much milder in the distilled water-treated MRL/lpr mice. These results suggest that CD3+ B-1a cells could be mediators of disease progression in autoimmune-prone mice.

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Gene Therapy Extends the Lifespan of Lupus-Prone Mice

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease characterized by high levels of pathogenic autoantibodies and tissue damage. Multiple studies showed that dendritic cell (DC) activation plays a critical role in SLE pathogenesis. Human alpha 1 antitrypsin (hAAT) is a serine proteinase inhibitor with potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective properties. In this study, we first examined the effects of hAAT on the functions of DCs from lupus-prone mice, and we showed that hAAT treatment efficiently inhibited CpG- (TLR9 agonist) induced activation of bone marrow-derived conventional and plasmacytoid DCs as well as the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The hAAT treatment also attenuated DC help for B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin M (IgM) production. We next tested the protective effect of hAAT protein and gene therapy using recombinant adeno-associated virus 8 (rAAV8-CB-hAAT) in a spontaneous lupus mouse model, and we showed that both treatments decreased autoantibody levels. Importantly, rAAV8-CB-hAAT did not induce an immune response to its transgene product (hAAT), but it showed more pronounced therapeutic effects in reducing urine protein levels and extending the lifespan of these mice. These results indicate that AAT has therapeutic potential in the treatment of SLE in humans.

Metabolic Factors that Contribute to Lupus Pathogenesis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which organ damage is mediated by pathogenic autoantibodies directed against nucleic acids and protein complexes. Studies in SLE patients and in mouse models of lupus have implicated virtually every cell type in the immune system in the induction or amplification of the autoimmune response as well as the promotion of an inflammatory environment that aggravates tissue injury. Here, we review the contribution of CD4+ T cells, B cells, and myeloid cells to lupus pathogenesis and then discuss alterations in the metabolism of these cells that may contribute to disease, given the recent advances in the field of immunometabolism.

Irgm1 coordinately regulates autoimmunity and host defense at select mucosal surfaces

The pathogenesis of primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disease that targets the mucosa of exocrine tissues, is poorly understood. Although several mouse models have been developed that display features of SS, most of these are within the larger context of a lupus-like presentation. Immunity-related GTPase family M protein 1 (Irgm1) is an interferon-inducible cytoplasmic GTPase that is reported to regulate autophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we report that naive Irgm1-/- mice display lymphocytic infiltration of multiple mucosal tissues including the lung in a manner reminiscent of SS, together with IgA class-predominant autoantibodies including anti-Ro and anti-La. This phenotype persists in the germ-free state, but is abolished by deletion of Irgm3. Irgm1-/- mice have increased local production in the lung of TECP15-idiotype IgA, a natural antibody with dual reactivity against host and pneumococcal phosphorylcholine. Associated with this, Irgm1-/- mice display enhanced opsonization and clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae from the lung and increased survival from pneumococcal pneumonia. Taken together, our results identify Irgm1 as a master regulator of mucosal immunity that dually modulates evolutionarily conserved self- and other-directed immune responses at the interface of host with environment.

Expansion of B-1a Cells with Germline Heavy Chain Sequence in Lupus Mice

B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 (B6.TC) lupus-prone mice carrying the NZB allele of Cdkn2c, encoding for the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor P18(INK4), accumulate B-1a cells due to a higher rate of proliferative self-renewal. However, it is unclear whether this affects primarily early-appearing B-1a cells of fetal origin or later-appearing B-1a cells that emerge from bone marrow. B-1a cells are the major source of natural autoantibodies, and it has been shown that their protective nature is associated with a germline-like sequence, which is characterized by few N-nucleotide insertions and a repertoire skewed toward rearrangements predominated during fetal life, VH11 and VH12. To determine the nature of B-1a cells expanded in B6.TC mice, we amplified immunoglobulin genes by PCR from single cells in mice. Sequencing showed a significantly higher proportion of B-1a cell antibodies that display fewer N-additions in B6.TC mice than in B6 control mice. Following this lower number of N-insertions within the CDR-H3 region, the B6.TC B-1a cells display shorter CDR-H3 length than B6 B-1a cells. The absence of N-additions is a surrogate for fetal origin, as TdT expression starts after birth in mice. Therefore, our results suggest that the B-1a cell population is not only expanded in autoimmune B6.TC mice but also qualitatively different with the majority of cells from fetal origin. Accordingly, our sequencing results also demonstrated the overuse of VH11 and VH12 in autoimmune B6.TC mice as compared to B6 controls. These results suggest that the development of lupus autoantibodies in these mice is coupled with skewing of the B-1a cell repertoire and possible retention of protective natural antibodies.

Genetic and cellular dissection of the activation of AM14 rheumatoid factor B cells in a mouse model of lupus

The RF-specific AM14 tg BCR has been used as a model to dissect the mechanisms of B cell tolerance to ICs containing nucleic acids. We have shown previously that AM14 RF B cells break tolerance in the TC mouse model of lupus through the dual engagement of the AM14 BCR and TLR9. In this study, we showed that neither the expression of Sle1 or Sle2 susceptibility loci alone was sufficient to activate AM14 RF B cells, suggesting that the production of antichromatin IgG2a(a) autoAg mediated by Sle1 and an intrinsically higher B cell activation mediated by Sle2 were required. We also showed that the B6 genetic background enhanced the selection of AM14 RF B cells to the MZB cell compartment regardless of the expression of the Sle loci and therefore, of their activation into AFCs. Furthermore, some AM14 RF B cells were selected into the B-1a compartment, where they did not differentiate into AFCs. Therefore, it is unlikely that the selection of AM14 RF B cells to the MZB or B-1a cell compartments in TC.AM14(a) mice is responsible for their breach of tolerance. Finally, we showed that the presence of expression of Sle1 in non-tg cells, most likely T cells, is necessary for the activation of AM14 RF B cells into AFCs. Overall, these results suggest a threshold model of activation of AM14 RF B cells on the B6 background with additive genetic and cellular contribution of multiple sources.