Glucocorticoid prevents CD138 expression in T cells of autoimmune MRL/lpr mice
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- Published online on: May 4, 2022 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2022.12727
- Article Number: 211
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Copyright: © Xie et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.
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Abstract
CD138+ T cells, the majority of which are CD4 and CD8 double‑negative (DN) T cells, contribute to the production of anti‑dsDNA antibodies in a CD4 receptor‑dependent way to promote the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Accumulation of CD138+ T cells in the spleen of MRL/lpr mice was significantly reduced by prednisone. Reduced expression of CD138 in DN T cells induced by prednisone treatment alleviated the accumulation of DN T cells in MRL/lpr mice. The frequency of CD138+ cells in CD4+ T cells of prednisone‑treated MRL/lpr mice was also significantly reduced, which subsequently contributed to reduced production of anti‑dsDNA antibody in the prednisone‑treated MRL/lpr mice. Additionally, prednisone significantly reduced serum IgG and IgG subsets and simultaneously increased IgM secretion in serum. This suggested that glucocorticoids played a protective role during SLE treatment in MRL/lpr mice by promoting the production of IgM. The present study provides new insights into the mechanism of glucocorticoid for the treatment of SLE.
