title: Use of laser microdissection in the analysis of renal-infiltrating T cells in murine lupus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the role of T cells in kidney pathology of three widely used murine lupus models.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells infiltrating the glomeruli and perivascular areas in MRL/lpr (n = 10 female), NZB× NZW F1 (B/W F1) (n = 9 female), and BXSB (n = 10 male) mice were captured by laser microdissection (LMD). Samples were subjected to nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific to β-actin, T-cell receptor β chain (TCR-Cβ), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-13, IL-17, and interferon-g (IFN-γ). Frozen sections of lesions were also stained immunohistochemically for tissue and cellular characterization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T cells infiltrating the glomeruli and perivascular areas predominantly produced IFN-γ, IL-13, and IL-17 in MRL/lpr, B/W F1, and BXSB mice, with IL-17 expression in glomeruli of BXSB mice being significantly lower than that of MRL/lpr and B/W F1 mice. IL-10 was detected only in the perivascular areas of MRL/lpr and B/W F1 mice and not in glomeruli isolates. Immunohistochemical staining revealed positive for the expression of Thy-1, CD4, CD8, and B220 in glomeruli and perivascular areas from all three strains of mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytokine balance in murine SLE is complex and cannot be attributed simply to the balance between Th1 and Th2 cells. Th17 cells may play a critical role in disease pathology, possibly with greater contribution toward disease progression in MRL/lpr and B/W F1 mice than in BXSB mice. Furthermore, these findings lend support to the concept that different molecular mechanisms underlie glomerulonephritis as compared to vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Jinan City, Shandong, PR China ; Department of Nephrology, Shandong Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhentao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, College of Clinical Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Yingge
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department of The First people's Hospital of Tongliao in Inner Mongolia, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, PR China.
authors.forename: Rongqian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Summus Biological Chemical Institute, Harbin Heilongjiang Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Jinan City, Shandong, PR China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: IL-17; glomerulonephritis; laser microdissection; murine lupus; vasculitis