IFN-associated B cell hyperactivity is highly enriched in SLE patients harboring Sm/RNP antibodies.

ABSTRACT: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by an array of autoantibodies, in particular anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA). The disease is also hallmarked by an expansion of plasmablasts (PB) in peripheral blood. How these relate to autoantibody production is not clear. Here, we aimed to understand B cell alterations in SLE and their relationship to immunoglobulin levels and autoantibody production. We demonstrate that a subgroup of SLE patients is characterized by a high frequency of PB relative to memory B cells (high PB/M). Patients with this phenotype more frequently had high disease activity. Despite low overall frequencies of memory B cells, these patients exhibited an increased activation in the switched CD27+ memory compartment and a strong IFN signature i

SUBMITTER: van Dooren HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11601621 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature