Fas expression on peripheral blood lymphocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus: relation to the organ damage and lymphocytes apoptosis

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common autoimmune disease with complex etiology. Recently, a possible role of apoptotic cells in its pathogenesis has been suggested. This study is to evaluate the expression of Fas antigen on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in SLE, to determine whether membrane Fas (mFas) has a role in the organ damage in SLE and to explore its relationship with the early apoptosis of the PBLs in SLE. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the expression of mFas on PBLs in 68 Chinese SLE patients and 37 healthy controls. Systemic lupus international collaborative clinics/american colleges of rheumatology damage index (SDI) scores were calculated to further estimate the relationship of the expression of mFas with disease severity. Results showed that mFas expression levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) among SLE patients than those in healthy controls. Higher (P = 0.01) expressions of mFas were found in patients with SDI scores >or= as compared to those with SDI scores <3. Patients with neuropsychiatric or renal disease had a higher expression of mFas than those without neuropsychiatric (P = 0.03) or renal disease (P = 0.01). In addition, the expression levels had a positive (r = 0.381, P < 0.01) correlation with the early apoptosis rate of PBLs in SLE patients. Taken together, our study showed that Fas-expressing PBLs were increased in SLE patients, especially in patients with higher SDI score, and the expression levels of mFas were correlated to the organ damage and lymphocytes apoptosis.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor levels reflect organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus

“…To our knowledge, no biomarkers apart from lymphocyte Fas expression, 14 sFas, 12 CRP 13 , and osteopontin 15 have been shown to associate with organ damage as defined by SDI.…”

“…apoptosis stimulating fragment (Fas/CD95), both membrane bound and soluble (sFas), CRP and osteopontin), and organ damage. [12][13][14][15] However, only plasma levels of osteopontin have been shown predict organ damage, and this was shown for a relatively small study group of SLE patients. 15 Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is part of the plasminogen activation system and is involved in inflammation, tissue remodeling and cancer metastasis.…”

Increased Tim-3 expression on peripheral T lymphocyte subsets and association with higher disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus

“…Fas is an apoptosis-promoting cell surface receptor, and interactions between Fas and FasL play an essential role in maintaining immune homeostasis [35]. Fas expression on total peripheral blood lymphocytes has been reported to be higher in SLE patients than in HCs [11, 36, 37] and to correlate with both disease activity [11, 36]and organ damage [37]. Similarly, Amasaki et al reported higher mean fluorescence intensity due to Fas expression on both CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets in patients than in HCs [38].…”

The association of systemic lupus erythematosus and myasthenia gravis: a series of 17 cases, with a special focus on hydroxychloroquine use and a review of the literature

“…CD25? T lymphocytes [58,59], high B-cell chemoattractant of CXC chemokine (CXCL13) production [60,61] and defective Fas expression [62,63]. The main neuromuscular side effect of antimalarials is a marked neuromyopathy, characterized by slowly progressive weakness of insidious onset.…”