| 1. |
- Diaz-Gallo, Lina-Marcela, et al.
(författare)
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Four Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Subgroups, Defined by Autoantibodies Status, Differ Regarding HLA-DRB1 Genotype Associations and Immunological and Clinical Manifestations
- 2022
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Ingår i: ACR Open Rheumatology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2578-5745. ; 4:1, s. 27-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The heterogeneity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) constitutes clinical and therapeutical challenges. We therefore studied whether unrecognized disease subgroups can be identified by using autoantibody profiling together with HLA-DRB1 alleles and immunological and clinical data.Methods: An unsupervised cluster analysis was performed based on detection of 13 SLE-associated autoantibodies (double-stranded DNA, nucleosomes, ribosomal P, ribonucleoprotein [RNP] 68, RNPA, Smith [Sm], Sm/RNP, Sjögren's syndrome antigen A [SSA]/Ro52, SSA/Ro60, Sjögren's syndrome antigen B [SSB]/La, cardiolipin [CL]-Immunoglobulin G [IgG], CL-Immunoglobulin M [IgM], and β2 glycoprotein I [β2 GPI]-IgG) in 911 patients with SLE from two cohorts. We evaluated whether each SLE subgroup is associated with HLA-DRB1 alleles, clinical manifestations (n = 743), and cytokine levels in circulation (n = 446).Results: Our analysis identified four subgroups among the patients with SLE. Subgroup 1 (29.3%) was dominated by anti-SSA/Ro60/Ro52/SSB autoantibodies and was strongly associated with HLA-DRB1*03 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.52-4.94). Discoid lesions were more common for this disease subgroup (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.18-2.47). Subgroup 2 (28.7%) was dominated by anti-nucleosome/SmRNP/DNA/RNPA autoantibodies and associated with HLA-DRB1*15 (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.41-1.84). Nephritis was most common in this subgroup (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.14-2.26). Subgroup 3 (23.8%) was characterized by anti-ß2 GPI-IgG/anti-CL-IgG/IgM autoantibodies and a higher frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 compared with the other patients with SLE. Vascular events were more common in Subgroup 3 (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.2-2.5). Subgroup 4 (18.2%) was negative for the investigated autoantibodies, and this subgroup was not associated with HLA-DRB1. Additionally, the levels of eight cytokines significantly differed among the disease subgroups.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that four fairly distinct subgroups can be identified on the basis of the autoantibody profile in SLE. These four SLE subgroups differ regarding associations with HLA-DRB1 alleles and immunological and clinical features, suggesting dissimilar disease pathways.
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| 2. |
- Elbagir, Sahwa, et al.
(författare)
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Anti-histone and anti-nucleosome rather than anti-dsDNA antibodies associate with IFN-induced biomarkers in Sudanese and Swedish Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients.
- 2024
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Ingår i: Rheumatology. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 1462-0324 .- 1462-0332.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: In SLE, anti-dsDNA can co-occur with autoantibodies against other chromatin components, like histones and nucleosomes. These antibodies induce type-1 interferon production, a hallmark of SLE. We measured antinuclear antibody (ANA) sub-specificities and investigated their associations to inflammatory biomarkers including interferon-regulated chemokines.METHODS: We included 93 Sudanese and 480 Swedish SLE patients and matched controls (N = 104 + 192). Autoantibodies targeting ANA-subspecificites: dsDNA, Sm, Sm/U1RNPcomplex, U1RNP, SSA/Ro52, SSA/Ro60, SSB/La, ribosomal P, PCNA and histones were quantified in all subjects, anti-nucleosome only in the Swedish patients, with a bead-based multiplex immunoassay. Levels of 72 plasma biomarkers were determined with Proximity Extension Assay technique or ELISA.RESULTS: Among Sudanese patients, the investigated antibodies significantly associated with 9/72 biomarkers. Anti-histone antibodies showed the strongest positive correlations with MCP-3 and S100A12 as well as with interferon I-inducible factors MCP-1 and CXCL10. Anti-dsDNA antibodies associated with CXCL10 and S100A12, but in multivariate analyses, unlike anti-histone, associations lost significance.Among Swedish patients, MCP-1, CXCL10, SA100A12 also demonstrated stronger associations to anti-histone and anti-nucleosome antibodies, compared with anti-dsDNA and other ANA sub-specificities. In multiple regression models, anti-histone/nucleosome retained the strongest associations. When excluding anti-histone or anti-nucleosome positive patients, the associations between MCP-1/CXCL10 and anti-dsDNA were lost. In contrast, when excluding anti-dsDNA positive patients, associations with anti-histone and anti-nucleosome remained significant.CONCLUSION: In two cohorts of different ethnical origin, autoantibodies targeting chromatin correlate stronger with IFN-induced inflammatory biomarkers than anti-dsDNA or other ANA sub-specificities. Our results suggest that anti-histone/nucleosome autoantibodies may be main drivers of type-1 interferon activity in SLE.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Häyry, Aliisa, et al.
(författare)
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Interleukin (IL) 16 : a candidate urinary biomarker for proliferative lupus nephritis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Lupus Science and Medicine. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2053-8790. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The pathogenesis is incompletely understood and diagnostic biomarkers are scarce. We investigated interleukin (IL) 16 as a potential biomarker for LN in a well-characterised cohort of patients with SLE.METHODS: We measured urinary (u-) and plasma (p-) levels of IL-16 in predefined patient groups using ELISA: LN (n=84), active non-renal SLE (n=63), inactive non-renal SLE (n=73) and matched population controls (n=48). The LN group included patients with recent biopsy-confirmed proliferative (PLN, n=47), mesangioproliferative (MES, n=11) and membranous (MLN, n=26) LN. Renal expression of IL-16 was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Associations between IL-16 measurements and clinical parameters and the diagnostic value for LN were explored.RESULTS: p-IL-16 was detected in all investigated cases and high p-IL-16 levels were observed in patients with active SLE. u-IL-16 was detected (dt-u-IL-16) in 47.6% of patients with LN, while only up to 17.8% had dt-u-IL-16 in other groups. In the LN group, 68% of patients with PLN had dt-u-IL-16, while the proportions in the MLN and MES groups were lower (11.5% and 45.5%, respectively). The highest u-IL-16 levels were detected in the PLN group. In the regression model, u-IL-16 levels differentiated PLN from other LN patient subgroups (area under the curve 0.775-0.896, p<0.0001). dt-u-IL-16 had superior specificity but slightly lower sensitivity than elevated anti-double-stranded DNA and low complement C3 or C4 in diagnosing PLN. A high proportion of LN kidney infiltrating cells expressed IL-16.CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that detectable u-IL-16 can differentiate patients with PLN from those with less severe LN subtypes and active non-renal SLE. Our findings suggest that u-IL-16 could be used as a screening tool at suspicion of severe LN. Furthermore, the high IL-16 levels in plasma, urine and kidney tissue imply that IL-16 could be explored as a therapeutic target in SLE.
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| 5. |
- Idborg, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Circulating Levels of Interferon Regulatory Factor-5 Associates With Subgroups of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 1664-3224. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease, which currently lacks specific diagnostic biomarkers. The diversity within the patients obstructs clinical trials but may also reflect differences in underlying pathogenesis. Our objective was to obtain protein profiles to identify potential general biomarkers of SLE and to determine molecular subgroups within SLE for patient stratification. Plasma samples from a cross-sectional study of well-characterized SLE patients (n = 379) and matched population controls (n = 316) were analyzed by antibody suspension bead array targeting 281 proteins. To investigate the differences between SLE and controls, Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction, generalized linear modeling and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis were performed. K-means clustering was used to identify molecular SLE subgroups. We identified Interferon regulating factor 5 (IRF5), solute carrier family 22 member 2 (SLC22A2) and S100 calcium binding protein A12 (S100A12) as the three proteins with the largest fold change between SLE patients and controls (SLE/Control = 1.4, 1.4, and 1.2 respectively). The lowest p-values comparing SLE patients and controls were obtained for S100A12, Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) and SLC22A2 (p(adjusted) = 3 x 10(-9), 3 x 10(-6), and 5 x 10(-6) respectively). In a set of 15 potential biomarkers differentiating SLE patients and controls, two of the proteins were transcription factors, i.e., IRF5 and SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor (SPDEF). IRF5 was up-regulated while SPDEF was found to be down-regulated in SLE patients. Unsupervised clustering of all investigated proteins identified three molecular subgroups among SLE patients, characterized by (1) high levels of rheumatoid factor-IgM, (2) low IRF5, and (3) high IRF5. IRF5 expressing microparticles were analyzed by flow cytometry in a subset of patients to confirm the presence of IRF5 in plasma and detection of extracellular IRF5 was further confirmed by immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS). Interestingly IRF5, a known genetic risk factor for SLE, was detected extracellularly and suggested by unsupervised clustering analysis to differentiate between SLE subgroups. Our results imply a set of circulating molecules as markers of possible pathogenic importance in SLE. We believe that these findings could be of relevance for understanding the pathogenesis and diversity of SLE, as well as for selection of patients in clinical trials.
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| 6. |
- Kuhn, Annegret, et al.
(författare)
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Photoprovocation in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus : A Multicenter Study Evaluating a Standardized Protocol
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Investigative Dermatology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-202X .- 1523-1747. ; 131:8, s. 1622-1630
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Photosensitivity is an important and distinguishing sign in various subtypes of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE); however, it remains poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether standardized photoprovocation is a reproducible method to assess photosensitivity in subjects with CLE. A total of 47 subjects with CLE (subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), n = 14; discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), n = 20; lupus erythematosus tumidus (LET), n = 13) and 13 healthy volunteers underwent photoprovocation at seven European sites. Of these, 22 (47%) subjects (57% SCLE, 35% DLE, and 54% LET) and none of the healthy volunteers developed photoprovoked lesions according to clinical analysis. Of these 22 subjects, 19 (86%) developed lesions that were histopathologically confirmed as specific for lupus erythematosus (LE). In CLE subjects who developed UV-induced lesions, 86% had Fitzpatrick's phototypes I or II, and the mean minimal erythema dose (MED) was significantly lower compared with subjects without UV-induced lesions (P = 0.004). No significant differences in photoprovocation results were observed between study sites. Safety parameters showed no clinically meaningful differences between CLE subjects and healthy volunteers after photoprovocation. In conclusion, a standardized, safe, and reproducible protocol for photoprovocation using UVA and UVB radiation induced skin lesions in approximately half of all CLE subjects and showed comparable results across multiple sites. This method may therefore be used for future diagnostic testing and clinical trials.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Oke, Vilija, et al.
(författare)
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IFN-λ1 with Th17 axis cytokines and IFN-α define different subsets in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
- 2017
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Ingår i: Arthritis Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-6362. ; 19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Interferon (IFN)-α is thought to have a pivotal role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and type III IFNs (IFN-λ) were recently also associated with SLE. In this study, we measured levels of IFN-α, IFN-λ1, and related cytokines, such as IL-17A, IL-23, and interferon-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10), in a Karolinska University Hospital cohort of patients with SLE and control subjects. The objective of the study was to investigate if cytokine measurements could identify different subsets of patients with active SLE and higher disease damage.METHODS: We included 261 patients with SLE and 261 population control subjects. All participants underwent a standardized clinical examination. Medical files were reviewed. Patients with SLE were assessed for current organ manifestations, disease activity, and damage. Routine blood parameters, complement levels, and serology were analyzed at the time of inclusion. Levels of IFN-λ1, IFN-α, IL-17A, IL-23, and IP-10 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS: IFN-λ1 and IFN-α were detected in 29% and 44% of patients, respectively, but their levels did not correlate. High serum levels of IFN-λ1 were positively associated with antinucleosome antibodies and lymphopenia but negatively with musculoskeletal damage. Positive correlations between levels of IFN-λ1, IL-17A, and IL-23 were observed. Patients with high levels of these three cytokines had more disease damage, especially renal impairment. High levels of IFN-α were associated with mucocutaneous disease; leukopenia; and low complement, Ro/SSA, and La/SSB. Vascular events and antiphospholipid antibodies were uncommon. We identified two subgroups with high disease activity: one with double-high IFN-λ1 and IFN-α and another with IP-10(high). The former had more neuropsychiatric manifestations, and the latter had more arthritis. Increased levels of both types I and III IFNs were found in a proportion of population control subjects. Therefore, high IFN levels do not seem to be SLE-specific biomarkers.CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of circulating IFN-λ1 and IFN-α define subsets of patients with SLE with different characteristics. Levels of IFN-λ1 correlate with T-helper type 17 cytokines and identify a subgroup with more damage. High disease activity is associated with either simultaneous upregulation of IFN-λ1 and IFN-α or independently with IP-10. Our findings could be of major importance when tailoring therapy for patients with SLE with agents targeting IFN pathways.
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| 9. |
- Oke, Vilija
(författare)
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Studies on molecular regulation of inflammation in cutaneous lupus erythematosus
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lupus erythematosus (LE) is an autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations. This spectrum spans from limited cutaneous disease to life-threatening rheumatic disorder involving vital organs. Sun exposure is an evident exogenous trigger of both cutaneous (CLE) and systemic LE (SLE). CLE-resembling skin lesions can also be experimentally induced using artificial ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Skin is an organ which is physically available for clinical observation and biopsy acquisition. This provides a possibility to relate the clinical appearance of developing and healing lesions to the molecular and cellular events observed in the skin specimens. In the studies included in this thesis we aimed to define the molecular regulation of cutaneous inflammation in CLE and to evaluate if a standardized photoprovocation is a suitable method to study CLE in a multicenter study. Firstly, we explored what cytokines are involved in the regulation of inflammation in UVR-induced CLE lesions; secondly, we investigated if the autoantigen Ro52 is expressed in UVR-induced and spontaneous CLE lesions and lastly, if UVR and reactive nitrogen species (NO) could modulate the expression of autoantigen Ro52 in the LE-target cell keratinocyte. We also wanted to examine which domains within the Ro52 protein that determine its subcellular localization, and if Ro52 can interact with ubiquitin conjugating enzymes residing in different cell compartments. To achieve our goals we used skin biopsy material derived from spontaneously occurring CLE lesions, and also a longitudinal collection of cutaneous specimens acquired from experimentally UVR-induced LE-specific lesions. We established patient- and healthy control-derived primary keratinocyte cultures in order to investigate Ro52 expression under the influence of UVR and NO. Furthermore, by constructing green fluorescent protein-Ro52 (GFP-Ro52) mutants and transfecting HeLa cells with them, we investigated the sequences of importance for subcellular localization of this autoantigen. In paper I we demonstrated that a standardized photoprovocation allows inducing CLE- resembling lesions in approximately half of the patients and is a safe and reproducible method suitable for multicenter studies. In paper II we demonstrated that HMGB1, an alarmin with cytokine-like functions, is upregulated and translocated to the extracellular space in UVR-induced CLE lesions, and that its highest expression coincides with the peak of clinical activity of the lesions. Other investigated cytokines TNF- and IL-1 seemed to be of less importance. In paper III we showed that Ro52 is strongly expressed in the epidermis and dermis of spontaneous and UVR-induced CLE lesions and is predominantly located in the keratinocyte cytoplasm. Moreover, our results of in vitro experiments indicate that UVR can upregulate the expression of this autoantigen in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes. In paper IV we determined that NO can modulate the subcellular localization of Ro52 in human keratinocytes and HeLa cells in vitro. We have also demonstrated that Ro52 is expressed in close proximity to iNOS and is located in both cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of the cells present in CLE skin lesions. In addition, we proved that the sequence located within the leucine zipper/coiled coil domain of Ro52 is the one that retains the protein in the cell cytoplasm while the B30.2 domain is important for the nuclear translocalization of Ro52. We have also demonstrated that Ro52 can interact with both nuclear and cytoplasmic ubiquitin conjugating enzymes. In conclusion, the studies presented in this thesis provide novel insights into the molecular events that occur in the skin of CLE patients during lesion development. Our findings indicate that UVR and NO can modulate the expression of the autoantigen Ro52 in keratinocytes, which are the target cells of autoimmunity in LE. We demonstrate that standardized photoprovocation is a safe and reproducible method to study UVR-induced CLE in multicenter studies.
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| 10. |
- Ruacho, Guillermo, et al.
(författare)
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Sjögren Syndrome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus : A Subset Characterized by a Systemic Inflammatory State
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Rheumatology. - : The Journal of Rheumatology. - 0315-162X .- 1499-2752. ; 47:6, s. 865-875
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. An often-neglected subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is those with secondary Sjogren syndrome (SLE-sSS). Further, primary SS overlaps and can be difficult to delineate from SLE. To shed light on the SLE-sSS subset, we investigated a large and well-characterized SLE cohort, comparing patients with SLE-sSS and SLE patients without SS (SLE-nonsSS) and controls. Methods. We included 504 consecutive patients with SLE, fulfilling the 1982 revised American College of Rheumatology criteria, and 319 controls from the general population, matched for age and sex to the first 319 patients. SLE-sSS was defined according to the American-European Consensus Criteria (AECC). A thorough clinical examination, including subjective and objective quantifications of sicca symptoms, was performed in all participants. Autoantibodies and 20 selected cytokines were measured by luminex and multiplex analysis, respectively. Results. SLE-sSS, as defined by AECC, occurred in 23% of the patients with SLE. In comparison to SLE-nonsSS, the SLE-sSS group was older and more frequently female. Leukopenia and peripheral neuropathy were more frequent and nephritis less frequent. Circulating levels of 6/20 investigated proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL) 6, monocyte chemoattractant protein 4, macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta, IL-12/IL-23p40, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10], total IgG, anti-SSA/Ro52, anti-SSA/Ro60, anti-SSB/La antibodies, and rheumatoid factor (IgM and IgA) were higher in the SLE-sSS group (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion. The frequency of SLE-sSS increased with age and affected roughly one-quarter of all patients with SLE. Despite less internal organ involvement, a systemic inflammatory state with high levels of proinflammatory cytokines is present in the SLE-sSS subgroup. This is a novel observation that may affect future understanding and treatment of the SLE-sSS subset.
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