title: Regulatory CD4+ T cells promote B cell anergy in murine lupus.
abstract: To prevent autoimmunity, anergy of autoreactive B cells needs to be maintained, together with the suppression of hyperactive B cells. We previously reported that CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) can directly suppress autoantibody-producing autoreactive B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus. In this article, we show that Tregs can also reduce the production of autoantibodies in (NZB × NZW)F1 mouse lupus B cells by promoting B cell anergy, both in vitro and in vivo. This phenomenon associated with a reduction in Ca(2+) flux in B cells, and CTLA-4 blockade inhibited the effects of Tregs on anergic lupus B cells. These findings identify a new mechanism by which Tregs can control production of autoantibodies in lupus B cells and, more generally, B cell activity in physiopathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095;
authors.forename: Yaoyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Aijing
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iikuni
authors.forename: Huji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fu-Dong
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Cava
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D017635:Clonal Anergy / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies