Abstract
The cause of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases is unresolved, although dysregulated production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family members appears to be important in many cases. BAFF, a new member of the TNF family, binds to B cells and costimulates their growth in vitro. Mice transgenic for BAFF have vastly increased numbers of mature B and effector T cells, and develop autoimmune-like manifestations such as the presence of high levels of rheumatoid factors, circulating immune complexes, anti-DNA autoantibodies, and immunoglobulin deposition in the kidneys. This phenotype is reminiscent of certain human autoimmune disorders and suggests that dysregulation of BAFF expression may be a critical element in the chain of events leading to autoimmunity.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antibodies, Antinuclear / blood
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Autoantibodies / blood*
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Autoimmune Diseases / genetics
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Autoimmune Diseases / immunology*
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Autoimmune Diseases / pathology
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B-Cell Activating Factor
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B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
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Flow Cytometry
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Humans
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Immunoglobulin A / blood
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Immunoglobulin G / blood
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Immunoglobulin M / blood
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Immunoglobulins / metabolism
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Kidney / immunology
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Kidney / pathology
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Kinetics
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Leukocyte Count
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Lung / immunology
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Lymphatic Diseases / genetics
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Lymphatic Diseases / immunology*
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Lymphatic Diseases / pathology
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Membrane Proteins / genetics*
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Membrane Proteins / immunology*
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Mice
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Mice, Transgenic
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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Rheumatoid Factor / blood
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T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics*
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / immunology*
Substances
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Antibodies, Antinuclear
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Autoantibodies
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B-Cell Activating Factor
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Immunoglobulin A
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Immunoglobulin G
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Immunoglobulin M
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Immunoglobulins
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Membrane Proteins
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TNFSF13B protein, human
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Tnfsf13b protein, mouse
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
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Rheumatoid Factor