Genetic Dissection of SLE: SLE1 and FAS Impact Alternate Pathways Leading to Lymphoproliferative Autoimmunity

X Shi, C Xie, D Kreska, JA Richardson… - The Journal of …, 2002 - rupress.org
X Shi, C Xie, D Kreska, JA Richardson, C Mohan
The Journal of experimental medicine, 2002rupress.org
Genetic dissection of lupus pathogenesis in the NZM2410 strain has recently revealed that
Sle1 is a potent locus that triggers the formation of IgG anti-histone/DNA antibodies, when
expressed on the B6 background as a congenic interval. B6. lpr mice, in contrast, exhibit
distinctly different cellular and serological phenotypes. Both strains, however, do not usually
exhibit pathogenic autoantibodies, or succumb to lupus nephritis. In this study, we show that
the epistatic interaction of Sle1 (in particular, Sle1/Sle1) with FAS lpr leads to massive …
Genetic dissection of lupus pathogenesis in the NZM2410 strain has recently revealed that Sle1 is a potent locus that triggers the formation of IgG anti-histone/DNA antibodies, when expressed on the B6 background as a congenic interval. B6.lpr mice, in contrast, exhibit distinctly different cellular and serological phenotypes. Both strains, however, do not usually exhibit pathogenic autoantibodies, or succumb to lupus nephritis. In this study, we show that the epistatic interaction of Sle1 (in particular, Sle1/Sle1) with FASlpr leads to massive lymphosplenomegaly (with elevated numbers of activated CD4 T cells, CD4CD8 double negative (DN) T cells, and B1a cells), high levels of IgG and IgM antinuclear (including anti-ssDNA, anti-dsDNA, and anti-histone/DNA), and antiglomerular autoantibodies, histological, and clinical evidence of glomerulonephritis, and >80% mortality by 5–6 mo of age. Whereas FASlpr functions as a recessive gene, Sle1 exhibits a gene dosage effect. These studies indicate that Sle1 and FASlpr must be impacting alternate pathways leading to lymphoproliferative autoimmunity.
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