B Cell Activation and Plasma Cell Differentiation Are Promoted by IFN-λ in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

ABSTRACT: Type I IFN is essential for viral clearance but also contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), via aberrant nucleic acid-sensing pathways, leading to autoantibody production. Type III IFN (IFN-λ) is now appreciated to have a nonredundant role in viral infection, but few studies have addressed the effects of IFN-λ on immune cells given the more restricted expression of its receptor primarily to the epithelium. In this study, we demonstrate that B cells display a prominent IFN gene expression profile in patients with lupus. Serum levels of IFN-λ are elevated in SLE and positively correlate with B cell subsets associated with autoimmune plasma cell development, including CD11c⁺T-bet⁺CD21^- B cells. Altho

SUBMITTER: Barnas JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8612983 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature