CD4+ Th1 cells are effectors in lupus nephritis--but what are their targets?
Lupus nephritis involves both humoral and cellular effectors. Okamoto and colleagues isolated renal CD4+ cells from lupus-prone mice, selecting cells expressing T-cell receptors on the basis of their activity. After transfecting CD4+ cells with the relevant T-cell receptors, they transferred them into mice and induced more severe glomerulonephritis. This study supports a direct role for Th1 cells in lupus nephritis, although their antigenic specificity remains uncertain, as they did not recognize nucleosomes.
Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Monash University Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Joshua D
JD
Ooi
A Richard
AR
Kitching
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*