Genetically-driven target tissue over-expression of CD40: A novel mechanism in autoimmune disease

ABSTRACT: The CD40 gene, an important immune regulatory gene, is also expressed and functional on non-myeloid derived cells, many of which are targets for tissue specific autoimmune diseases, including d thyroid follicular cells in Graves’ disease (GD). Whether target tissue CD40 expression plays a role in autoimmune disease etiology has yet to be determined. Here we show for the first time, that target-tissue over-expression of CD40 plays a key role in the etiology of autoimmunity. Using a murine model of GD, we demonstrated that thyroidal CD40 over-expression augmented the production of thyroid specific antibodies, resulting in more severe experimental autoimmune Graves’ disease (EAGD), whereas deletion of thyroidal CD40 suppressed disease. Using transcriptome and immune-pathway analyses we showed

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Weijia Zhang 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-39081 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress