Lipocalin-2 Exacerbates Lupus Nephritis by Promoting Th1 Cell Differentiation.

Background: Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is an indicator of the severity of lupus nephritis (LN) and plays a pivotal role in immune responses, but it is not known if its effect on LN pathogenesis derives from regulating the immune imbalance of T lymphocyte subsets.

Methods: The expression of LCN2 in T cells and kidneys was assessed in renal biopsies from patients with LN. We investigated the relationship between LCN2 levels and development of LN and systemic illness by injecting anti-LCN2 antibodies into MRL/ mice and analyzing pristane-treated mice.

Mesenchymal stem cells induced CD4+ T cell apoptosis in treatment of lupus mice.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (UCMSCT) has been used to treat human autoimmune diseases like lupus for example, but little is known about its effect on cell apoptosis. Here we evaluated the efficacy of UCMSCT for lupus treatment and explored the mechanism by which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) modulate T cell apoptosis in lupus mice. 1 × 10 human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) were injected into B6.

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation ameliorates Sjögren's syndrome via suppressing IL-12 production by dendritic cells.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to be effective in treating autoimmune diseases including Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We aim to compare the effects of MSC transplantation (MSCT) and the role of serum interleukin-12 (IL-12) in SS.

Methods: IL-12 levels were measured by ELISA.

Mesenchymal stem cells prevent podocyte injury in lupus-prone B6.MRL-Faslpr mice via polarizing macrophage into an anti-inflammatory phenotype.

Background: Podocyte injury plays a pathogenic role in the development of lupus nephritis (LN). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promising therapeutic potential for LN. However, whether MSCs can prevent podocyte injury in LN remains unknown.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Control Complement C5 Activation by Factor H in Lupus Nephritis.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) caused by uncontrolled activation of the complement system. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit clinical efficacy for severe LN in our previous studies, but the underlying mechanisms of MSCs regulating complement activation remain largely unknown. Here we show that significantly elevated C5a and C5b-9 were found in patients with LN, which were notably correlated with proteinuria and different renal pathological indexes of LN.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote the Osteogenesis in Collagen-Induced Arthritic Mice through the Inhibition of TNF-.

Objective: To investigate the effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transplantation on joint damage and osteoporosis in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice and to explore the mechanisms by which UC-MSCs modulate the osteogenic differentiation.

Methods: CIA mice were divided into the following treated groups: UC-MSC transplantation group, antitumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) group, and zoledronic acid (ZA) group. Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) was used to analyze the bone morphology parameters.

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit T Follicular Helper Cell Expansion Through the Activation of iNOS in Lupus-Prone B6.MRL- Mice.

The aberrant generation or activation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells contributes to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), yet little is known about how these cells are regulated. In this study, we demonstrated that the frequency of Tfh cells was increased in lupus-prone B6.MRL-Faslpr (B6.