Dataset Information

Gene expression profiles in a rabbit model of systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibody production.

ABSTRACT: We previously reported the establishment of a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) model in which peptide immunization led to production of lupus-like autoantibodies including anti-Sm, -RNP, -SS-A, -SS-B, and -dsDNA characteristic of those produced in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Some neurologic symptoms in the form of seizures and nystagmus were observed. The animals used in the previous and in the current study were from a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases colony of rabbits that were pedigreed, Ig-allotype defined, but not inbred. Their genetic heterogeneity may correspond to that found among patients of a given ethnicity. We extended the information about this rabbit model by microarray-based expression profiling. We first demonstrated that human expression arrays could be used with rabbit RNA to yield information on molecular pathways. We then designed a study evaluating gene expression profiles in eight groups of control and treated rabbits (47 rabbits in total). Genes significantly upregulated in treated rabbits were associated with NK cytotoxicity, Ag presentation, leukocyte migration, cytokine activity, protein kinases, RNA spliceosomal ribonucleoproteins, intracellular signaling cascades, and glutamate receptor activity. These results link increased immune activation with upregulation of components associated with neurologic and anti-RNP responses, demonstrating the utility of the rabbit model to uncover biological pathways related to SLE-induced clinical symptoms, including neuropsychiatric lupus. Our finding of distinct gene expression patterns in rabbits that made anti-dsDNA compared with those that only made other anti-nuclear Abs should be further investigated in subsets of SLE patients with different autoantibody profiles.

SUBMITTER: Rai G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2949067 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Gene expression profiles in a rabbit model of systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibody production.

Rai Geeta G Ray Satyajit S Milton Jacqueline J Yang Jun J Ren Ping P Lempicki Richard R Mage Rose G RG

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 20100903 7

We previously reported the establishment of a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) model in which peptide immunization led to production of lupus-like autoantibodies including anti-Sm, -RNP, -SS-A, -SS-B, and -dsDNA characteristic of those produced in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Some neurologic symptoms in the form of seizures and nystagmus were observed. The animals used in the previous and in the current study were from a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases colony ...[more]

PMID: 20817871

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Project description:We previously reported the establishment of a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in which peptide immunization led to lupus-like autoantibody production including anti-Sm, -RNP, -SS-A, -SS-B and -dsDNA. Some neurological symptoms in form of seizures and nystagmus were observed. The animals used in the previous and in the present study were from a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases colony of rabbits that were pedigreed, immunoglobulin allotype-defined but not inbred. Their genetic heterogeneity may correspond to that found among patients of a given ethnicity. We extended the information about this rabbit model of SLE by microarray based expression profiling. We first demonstrated that human expression arrays could be used with rabbit RNA to yield information on molecular pathways. We then designed a study evaluating gene expression profiles in 8 groups of control and SLE rabbits (46 rabbits in total). Genes significantly upregulated in SLE rabbits were associated with NK cytotoxicity, antigen presentation, leukocyte migration, cytokine activity, protein kinases, RNA spliceosomal ribonucleoproteins, intracellular signaling cascades, and glutamate receptor activity. These results link increased immune activation with up-regulation of components associated with neurological and anti-RNP responses, demonstrating the utility of the rabbit SLE model to uncover biological pathways related to SLE-induced clinical symptoms, including Neuropsychiatric Lupus. Our finding of distinct gene expression patterns in rabbits that made anti-dsDNA compared to those that only made other anti-nuclear antibodies should be further investigated in subsets of SLE patients with different autoantibody profiles. An important goal of biomedical research is to translate basic findings into clinical applications. Models in inbred mice that spontaneously develop SLE, along with various mutant, transgenic and knockout models have documented a variety of genetic defects leading to SLE, but from the clinical perspective, the degree to which these findings using the inbred or homogeneous artificially mutated strains apply to individuals in heterogeneous outbred human populations is open to question. Given that there is still no cure available for SLE, it is important that we continue to explore possibilities using new animal models of SLE including neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE). The gene expression study reported here was conducted to expand our understanding of SLE and in particular NPSLE using our rabbit model. We reported earlier that immunization of rabbits with the SM- or GR-MAP peptides led to development of anti-nuclear autoantibodies, including anti-dsDNA, as well as neurological symptoms in the form of seizures and nystagmus in some rabbits. After establishing that it was possible to use the Affymetrix U95 human microarray for the rabbit gene expression studies, through comparative hybridization of identically prepared cRNA from human and rabbit PWBC, the human microarray was used due to lack of rabbit-specific microarrays. We describe unique gene expression changes associated with lupus like serological patterns in immunized rabbits. Our results also demonstrate that caution must be applied when choosing the structure of the carrier Multiple Antigen Peptide (MAP-peptide) for immunization. We discovered that using MAP-4 rather than MAP-8 significantly altered patterns of immune response and gene expression. Currently, microarrays specific for study of gene expression profiles are not available for rabbits. Therefore, we first conducted studies that compared identically prepared rabbit and human cRNA binding to the Affymetrix U95 microarray available for human gene expression analyses. It was determined that the human microarray could be used with rabbit cRNA to yield information on genetic pathways activated and/or suppressed in autoantibody-producing immunized rabbits. In the current report, gene expression profiles of a total of 46 rabbits, from 4 generations within a pedigreed group of control and immunized rabbits, were obtained and analyzed.

Project description:Autoantibody and inflammatory cytokines play crucial roles in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the regulation of their production warrants further investigation. This study aimed to investigate the role of basophil activation in the development of SLE based on studies in patients with SLE and spontaneous lupus-prone MRL-lpr/lpr mice.The phenotypes of peripheral basophils and the production of autoantibody and interleukin (IL)-17 in patients with SLE were determined by flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and also their correlations were investigated by statistical analysis. Thereafter, the effect of basophils on autoantibody production by B cells and Th17 differentiation in SLE were evaluated in vitro. Finally, the effect of basophil depletion on the development of autoimmune disorders in spontaneous lupus-prone MRL-lpr/lpr mice was examined.The decreased numbers and an increased activation of peripheral basophils were found to be correlated with increased autoantibody production and disease activity in patients with SLE. Correspondingly, in vitro coculture studies showed that basophils obtained from patients with SLE promoted autoantibody production by SLE B cells and promoted Th17 differentiation from SLE naïve CD4+ T cells. The decrease of peripheral basophils in patients with SLE might be due to their migration to lymph nodes post their activation mediated by (autoreactive) IgE as supported by their increased CD62L and CCR7 expressions and accumulation in the lymph nodes of MRL-lpr/lpr mice. Furthermore, an increased activation of peripheral basophils was identified in MRL-lpr/lpr mice. Importantly, basophil-depleted MRL-lpr/lpr mice exhibited an extended life span, improved renal function, and lower serum levels of autoantibodies and IL-17, while basophil-adoptive-transferred mice exhibited the opposite results.These finding suggest that basophil activation-dependent autoantibody and IL-17 production may constitute a critical pathogenic mechanism in SLE.

Project description:ObjectiveGene expression profiles are associated with the clinical heterogeneity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but are not well studied as biomarkers for therapy. We studied gene expression and response to rituximab in a multiethnic UK cohort who were refractory to standard therapy.MethodsWe evaluated baseline expression levels of transcripts known to associate with clinical features of SLE using a 96-probe TaqMan array and whole blood samples from 213 patients with active SLE who had been prospectively enrolled in the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) Biologics Register. We measured autoantibodies using immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We determined responses to first-cycle rituximab at 6 months from treatment start in 110 SLE patients by assessing BILAG 2004 disease activity.ResultsInterferon gene expression scores were lower in patients of European ancestry than in all other ancestry groups. The relationship between blood interferon gene expression scores and scores annotated to plasmablasts, neutrophils, myeloid lineage, inflammation, and erythropoiesis differed between patients of European and non-European ancestries. Hierarchical clustering revealed 3 distinct non-European ancestry patient subsets with stratified responses to rituximab that were not explained by sociodemographic and clinical variables, with responses lowest in an interferon-low, neutrophil-high cluster and highest in a cluster with high expression levels across all signatures (P < 0.001). Clusters in European ancestry patients did not predict response to rituximab but segregated patients by global disease activity and renal involvement. In both ancestral groups, interferon-high clusters were associated with U1 RNP/Sm antibodies.ConclusionAncestry appears central to the immunologic and clinical heterogeneity in SLE. These results suggest that ancestry, disease activity, and transcriptional signatures could each assist in predicting the effectiveness of B cell depletion therapies.

Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease of complex clinical presentation and etiology and is likely influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors. While a large number of susceptibility genes have been identified, the production of antibodies against a distinct subset of nuclear proteins remains a primary distinguishing characteristic in disease diagnosis. However, the utility of autoantibody biomarkers for disease sub-classification and grouping remains elusive, in part, because of the difficulty in large scale profiling using a uniform, quantitative platform. In the present study serological profiles of several known SLE antigens, including Sm-D3, RNP-A, RNP-70k, Ro52, Ro60, and La, as well as other cytokine and neuronal antigens were obtained using the luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS) approach. The resulting autoantibody profiles revealed that 88% of a pilot cohort and 98% of a second independent cohort segregated into one of two distinct clusters defined by autoantibodies against Sm/anti-RNP or Ro/La autoantigens, proteins often involved in RNA binding activities. The Sm/RNP cluster was associated with a higher prevalence of serositis in comparison to the Ro/La cluster (P?=?0.0022). However, from the available clinical information, no other clinical characteristics were associated with either cluster. In contrast, evaluation of autoantibodies on an individual basis revealed an association between anti-Sm (P?=?0.006), RNP-A (P?=?0.018) and RNP-70k (P?=?0.010) autoantibodies and mucocutaneous symptoms and between anti-RNP-70k and musculoskeletal manifestations (P?=?0.059). Serologically active, but clinically quiescent disease also had a higher prevalence of anti-IFN-? autoantibodies. Based on our findings that most SLE patients belong to either a Sm/RNP or Ro/La autoantigen cluster, these results suggest the possibility that alterations in RNA-RNA-binding protein interactions may play a critical role in triggering and/or the pathogenesis of SLE.

Dataset Information

Gene expression profiles in a rabbit model of systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibody production.

Publications

Gene expression profiles in a rabbit model of systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibody production.

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