Autoantigen-reactive CD4+ T cells from SLE patients

Journal/Book: Z Rheumatol 1999; 58 Suppl. 1: I/27 (FE 20). 1999;

Abstract: 1Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin; 2Universitätsklinik Charité Berlin The autoimmune response in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients is characterized by a broad spectrum of disease-associated autoantibodies. IgG autoantibodies are readily detectable in sera of SLE patients implicating a Th cell-driven autoimmune response. Here we describe the direct analysis of in vivo preactivated autoantigen-specific Th cells from SLE patients by stimulation of T cells in whole blood with autoantigens for 6 hours followed by cytometric analysis and identification of reactive cells according to expression of the early activation marker CD69 and the cytokines interferon-( (IFN-() tumor necrosis factora (TNFa) interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 10 (IL10). We used various autoantigens for stimulation. In the blood of 2 out of 5 SLE patients who had not yet been treated by immunosuppression Th cells reactive to the autoantigens Ro La SmD1 Hi-1 (aa 83-119 of SmD1) C1q or nucleosomes and characterized by CD69 upregulation and expression of IFN( were detected. Such cells occurred at frequencies ranging from 0.01% to 0.23% of peripheral CD4+ T cells. About 30% of these cells also produce TNF-a but not IL-4 or IL-10. In 7 SLE patients under immunosuppressive therapy no T cells responding to any of the autoantigens by expression of IFN-( TNF-a IL4 or IL10 were detectable at frequencies higher than 0.003% of Th cells the limit of sensitivity. Autoreactive Th cells are affected by immunosuppression more drastically than other Th cells since in reaction to the antigen staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) 1.2% of peripheral Th cells express IFN-( irrespective of whether the patients are immunosuppressed or not. ... le

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