Functional defects of peripheral regulatory T lymphocytes in patients with progressive vitiligo.

Auto-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes play a key role in the progressive loss or destruction of melanocytes in vitiligo but the mechanism underlying the loss of self-tolerance is unknown. A deregulation of regulatory T-cell biology has recently been suggested. The analysis of the suppressive effects of peripheral T regulatory cells in vitiligo patients revealed a functional defect in seven of 15 cases.

Resistance to exogenous TGF-β effects in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: The mechanisms underlying the loss of self-tolerance in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are incompletely deciphered. TGF-β plays a key role in self-tolerance demonstrated by the onset of a fatal autoimmune syndrome associated with lupus autoantibodies in mice lacking a functional TGF-β receptor. The present work aims to define whether resistance to TGF-β might contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE.