BAFF may play a pathogenic role in SLE by stimulating T cell-dependent B cell autoantibodies production. Blockade of BAFF is a promising therapeutic approach for SLE especially in patients with kidney involvement.

No abstract

Both the frequency and the absolute number of CD161(+)CD8(+) T cells were decreased in the peripheral blood of patients suffering from SLE, MCTD, SSc and PM/DM. This result suggests that there is also an abnormality of NKT cells in the CD8(+) population.

These results suggest that sCD138 may be applicable as a surrogate marker of disease activity, and that syndecan-1/APRIL signaling may be a potential therapeutic target for patients with active SLE.

The significance of both the acceleratory and inhibitory functions of the CD72 molecule was investigated among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during modification of B cell differentiation. Expression of the CD72 molecule and mRNA on B cells was decreased in SLE with lupus nephritis, while CD100 expression on both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells was not significant in comparison with the controls. When the relationship between CD72 expression and other B cell markers was examined, decreased expression of CD72 was associated with differences in the stage of differentiation. In patients with decreased expression of CD72, switching to IgG was evident, and the disease stage was started to severe. In patients with lupus nephritis, the decreased expression of CD72 was related to class switching on B cells, suggesting that CD72 is a useful marker for determining class switching of B cells in lupus nephritis.