Suppression of Autophagy via Lentiviral shRNA Targeting Atg5 Improves Lupus-Like Syndrome.

In both mouse models and clinical patients with lupus, autophagy levels were significantly elevated and correlated with disease activity. Furthermore, autophagy can promote the survival of B and T cells, plasma cell differentiation, and antibody production. These results suggest that autophagy may promote the progression of lupus by regulating the survival of autoreactive immune cells.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) deficiency augments BAFF production to promote lupus progression.

Sensing of nucleic acids by pattern recognition receptors is the key for the initiation and development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is a novel innate immune receptor, which can amplify Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced inflammatory responses. Although patients with lupus exhibit increased serum levels of soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1), the role of TREM-1 in SLE remains unknown.

Interactions of surface-expressed TLR-4 and endosomal TLR-9 accelerate lupus progression in anti-dsDNA antibody transgenic mice.

The hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the presence of high levels of anti-double-stranded DNA autoantibody (anti-dsDNA) in sera. In addition, pathogen infections coincide frequently with the occurrence of lupus. Our study was designed to investigate the contribution of anti-dsDNA, extracellular and intracellular Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a family of pattern-recognition receptors for sensing invading pathogens, in the pathogenesis of lupus.