title: Delay in the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus following treatment with the immunomodulator AS101: association with IL-10 inhibition and increase in TNF-alpha levels.
abstract: It has recently been found that in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by autoantibody production and decreased cellular immune response, increased spontaneous production of IL-10 occurs. The immunomodulator AS101 (ammonium trichloro(dioxoethylene-0,0')tellurate) was previously shown to significantly decrease IL-10 levels in cancer patients and in murine models. This study shows that AS101 inhibits the development of SLE-related autoimmune pathological manifestations. AS101 decreased the spontaneous IL-10 production by mononuclear cells from SLE patients in vitro. In vivo, systemic injection of AS101 to SCID mice transplanted with mononuclear cells from SLE patients significantly decreased serum human IL-10 levels. There was also a decrease in all serum human Ig isotypes, in anti-dsDNA, and in anti-Sm Igs. In the New Zealand Black/New Zealand White/F1 model, AS101 significantly increased serum TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma while decreasing IL-10 levels; these changes were accompanied by a rapid decrease in anti-dsDNA and anti-ssDNA Igs. More importantly, continuous treatment of New Zealand Black/New Zealand White/F1 mice with AS101 for 6 mo led to the development of proteinuria in 30% of the treated mice compared with 100% in PBS-treated mice (p < 0.001). AS101 treatment reduced the level of immmune complex deposition in the glomeruli, prevented glomerular hypercellularity and mesangial expansion and led to a much smaller mean glomerular volume in treated mice (185 +/- 6 vs 428 +/- 47.103 microm3; p < 0.01). We suggest that treatment with a nontoxic immunomodulator such as AS101, previously used in phase II trials on cancer patients, may be an effective therapeutic approach for controlling SLE.
authors.affiliation: Cancer, AIDS, and Immunology Research Institute, Department of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kalechman
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gafter
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Da
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albeck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alarcon-Segovia
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sredni
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D005030:Ethylenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; C054105:ammonium trichloro(dioxoethylene-O,O'-)tellurate