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The Ox40/Ox40 Ligand Pathway Promotes Pathogenic Th Cell Responses, Plasmablast Accumulation, and Lupus Nephritis in NZB/W F1 Mice.

ABSTRACT: Ox40 ligand (Ox40L) locus genetic variants are associated with the risk for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, it is unclear how Ox40L contributes to SLE pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the contribution of Ox40L and its cognate receptor, Ox40, using in vivo agonist and antagonist approaches in the NZB × NZW (NZB/W) F1 mouse model of SLE. Ox40 was highly expressed on several CD4 Th cell subsets in the spleen and kidney of diseased mice, and expression correlated with disease severity. Treatment of aged NZB/W F1 mice with agonist anti-Ox40 mAbs potently exacerbated renal disease, which was accompanied by activation of kidney-infiltrating T cells and cytokine production. The agonist mAbs also induced activation and inflammatory gene expression in splenic CD4 T cells, including IFN-regulated genes, increased the number of follicular helper T cells and plasmablasts in the spleen, and led to elevated levels of serum IgM and enhanced renal glomerular IgM deposition. In a type I IFN-accelerated lupus model, treatment with an antagonist Ox40:Fc fusion protein significantly delayed the onset of severe proteinuria and improved survival. These data support the hypothesis that the Ox40/Ox40L pathway drives cellular and humoral autoimmune responses during lupus nephritis in NZB/W F1 mice and emphasize the potential clinical value of targeting this pathway in human lupus.

SUBMITTER: Sitrin J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5544932 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundPatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, have a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease and death. In addition, up to 40%-50% of SLE patients develop lupus nephritis (LN) and chronic kidney disease, which is an additional CV risk factor. Thus, the individual contributions of LN and other SLE-specific factors to CV events are unclear.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the effect of LN on the development of CV changes using the female NZBxNZW F1 (NZB/W) mouse model of lupus-like disease, with female NZW mice as controls. Standard serologic, morphologic, immunohistologic, and molecular analyses were performed. In a separate group of NZB/W mice, systolic blood pressure (BP) was measured during the course of the disease using tail plethysmography.ResultsOur data show marked CV changes in NZB/W mice, i.e., increased heart weight, hypertrophy of the left ventricle (LV) and septum, and increased wall thickness of the intramyocardial arteries and the aorta, which correlated with the progression of renal damage, but not with the age of the mice. In addition, systolic BP was increased in NZB/W mice only when kidney damage progressed and proteinuria was present. Pathway analysis based on gene expression data revealed a significant upregulation of the response to interferon beta in NZB/W mice with moderate kidney injury compared with NZB mice. Furthermore, IFI202b and IL-6 mRNA expression is correlated with CV changes. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated serum urea as a surrogate marker of kidney function and IFI202b expression as an independent predictor for LV wall thickness. In addition, deposition of complement factors CFD and C3c in hearts from NZB/W mice was seen, which correlated with the severity of kidney disease.ConclusionsThus, we postulate that the pathogenesis of CV disease in SLE is affected by renal impairment, i.e., LN, but it can also be partly influenced by lupus-specific cardiac expression of pro-inflammatory factors and complement deposition.

Project description:Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone-lysine N-methyltransferase mediating trimethylation of H3K27, which represses gene expression and is critical to immune regulation. Inhibition of EZH2 is proved to have the potential of treating many diseases. However, whether inhibition of EZH2 affects type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling pathway, the abnormality of which is an important pathogenic mechanism for SLE, is still elusive. Here, we report, unexpectedly, a positive regulatory function of EZH2 in IFN-I signaling pathway, which contributes to the overactivation of IFN-I signaling pathway in SLE. We show that the expression of EZH2 was upregulated and positively correlated with the overexpression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells and renal tissues of SLE patients. In vitro inhibition of EZH2 by either siRNAs or chemical inhibitors reduced the phosphorylation of STAT1 and the induction of ISGs stimulated by IFN-I. Additionally, inhibition of EZH2 interfered with the in vivo and ex vivo activation of IFN-I signaling pathway elicited by intravenous injection of adenovirus vector expressing mouse IFN-α5 and exogeneous stimulation with IFN-α, respectively. We evaluated the therapeutic effects of EZH2 inhibitor in NZB/NZW F1 mice which depend on IFN-I signaling pathway for the lupus-like disease development. Administration of EZH2 inhibitor prolonged the survival, reduced the levels of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies, and improved lupus nephritis of the mice. What's more, EZH2 inhibitor attenuated the expression of ISGs in the kidneys of these mice. In summary, we show that excessive EZH2 contributes to the overactivation of IFN-I signaling pathway in SLE. EZH2 inhibitor has the potential to inhibit IFN-I signaling pathway and alleviate lupus nephritis. Additionally, diverse disease driving pathways exist among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient, and even in the same patients. Common regulators of different pathogenic pathways can be multivalent therapeutic targets. Together with previous studies showing EZH2 is involved in T-cell and B-cell mediated immune responses, EZH2 could be a potent multivalent therapeutic target for SLE.

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The Ox40/Ox40 Ligand Pathway Promotes Pathogenic Th Cell Responses, Plasmablast Accumulation, and Lupus Nephritis in NZB/W F1 Mice.

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