Soluble human CD83 ameliorates lupus in NZB/W F1 mice

Abstract

In the present study we explored the immunomodulatory potential of prokaryotically expressed soluble CD83 in the treatment of murine lupus using the NZB/W F1 mouse model. Therefore female NZB/W F1 lupus mice were treated either with sCD83 or PBS for 4 weeks. sCD83 treated mice showed a significantly delayed onset of anti-dsDNA autoantibody production when compared with the control group. Importantly, during the treatment period with sCD83 none of the mice showed elevated levels of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies. In addition, NZB/W F1 mice which received sCD83 displayed lower concentrations of anti-histone IgG autoantibodies. Furthermore, there was no difference in total IgG antibodies, indicating a modulatory role for sCD83 in the production of self-reactive antibodies without decreasing total IgG. These results indicate that administration of sCD83 has profound immune-modulatory effects on the induction of autoantibodies in NZB/W F1 lupus mice and may thus be a promising approach to interfere with autoimmunity in SLE and other autoantibody-driven diseases.

Keywords: ASCs; Anti-ds-DNA antibodies; B cell activating factor belonging to the TNF family; BAFF; CD83; DC; ELISA; ELISPOT; FACS; FCS; IgG; Immunomodulation; Lupus; NZB/W F1 mice; New Zealand Black and New Zealand White F1 mice; PBMC; SLE; Soluble human; antibody secreting cells; dendritic cells; double stranded DNA; dsDNA; enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay; enzyme-linked immune sorbent spot; fetal calf serum; fluorescence activated cell sorting; immunglobulin G; peripheral blood monocytes; systemic lupus erythematosus.