Identification of type I interferon-associated inflammation in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lupus erythematosus opens up options for novel therapeutic approaches

ObjectiveThis post hoc analysis compared anifrolumab 300 mg every 4 weeks with placebo on rash and arthritis measures with different stringency in patients with moderate to severe SLE (phase IIb; MUSE; NCT01438489). Subgroups were analysed by type I interferon gene signature (IFNGS test–high or test–low).MethodsRash was measured with the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) Index and modified Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (mCLASI). Arthritis was evaluated using SLEDAI-2K, BILAG and swollen and tender joint counts. Outcomes were measured at week 52.ResultsMore anifrolumab-treated patients demonstrated resolution of rash by SLEDAI-2K versus placebo: 39/88 (44.3%) versus 13/88 (14.8%), OR (90% CI) 4.56 (2.48 to 8.39), p<0.001; improvement of BILAG: 48/82 (58.5%) versus 24/85 (28.2%), OR (90% CI) 3.59 (2.08 to 6.19), p<0.001; and ≥50% improvement by mCLASI: 57/92 (62.0%) versus 30/89 (33.7%), OR (90% CI) 3.31 (1.97 to 5.55), p<0.001. More anifrolumab-treated patients had improved arthritis by SLEDAI-2K versus placebo: 55/97 (56.7%) versus 42/99 (42.4%), OR (90% CI) 1.88 (1.16 to 3.04), p=0.032; and BILAG: 65/94 (69.1%) versus 47/95 (49.5%), OR (90% CI) 2.47 (1.48 to 4.12), p=0.003; and mean (SD) swollen and tender joint reductions: –5.5 (6.3) versus –3.4 (5.9), p=0.004. Comparable results were demonstrated in IFNGS test–high patients (n=151). In IFNGS test–low patients (n=50), substantial numerical differences in partial rash and arthritis responses were observed in anifrolumab-treated patients versus placebo, with statistical significance only for rash by BILAG in this small population.ConclusionsAnifrolumab treatment was associated with improvements versus placebo in specific SLE features of arthritis and rash using measures of different stringency. Although driven by robust data in the prevalent IFNGS test–high population, further evaluation in IFNGS test–low patients is warranted.

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ID: 132: LUPUS KERATINOCYTES ARE PRIMED BY AN AUTOCRINE TYPE I INTERFERON LOOP TO ROBUSTLY SECRETE IL-6

Journal of Investigative Medicine ◽

10.1136/jim-2016-000120.136 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 976.2-977

Author(s):

JN Stannard ◽

TJ Reed ◽

JM Kahlenberg ◽

EM Myers ◽

L Lowe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Inflammatory Cytokine ◽

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Type I ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

University Of Michigan ◽

Type I Ifn ◽

Skin Biopsies ◽

The University ◽

Cutaneous Lupus

BackgroundCutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a disfiguring disease that can affect up to 70% of patients with systemic lupus. Treatment modalities are often ineffective and flares are frequent. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which has gotten recent attention in SLE as IL-6 is increased in the serum of active patients and blockade of IL-6 is therapeutic in murine lupus models and phase I human trials. The source of IL-6 in CLE remains unclear.MethodsAll studies were approved by the University of Michigan Internal Review Board (IRB# 72843 and 66116 to JMK). RNA was isolated from formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies of CLE rashes, which were obtained from the University of Michigan Pathology database. Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression level of the myxovirus (influenza virus) resistance 1 (MX-1) and interleukin-6 (IL6) genes. Biopsies were stained for IL-6 using immunohistochemistry. Skin biopsies were obtained from uninvolved skin of SLE patients with a history of cutaneous involvement or healthy controls followed by isolation and culture of keratinocytes. At confluence, cultures were treated with various concentrations of TLR ligands or UVB and IL-6 release was measured via ELISA. Blockade of type I IFN signaling was completed via monoclonal antibody to the type I IFN receptor.ResultsReal-time PCR analysis of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (sCLE) (n=21) and discoid (DLE) (n=22) rashes demonstrated a significant upregulation of both the IFN-regulated gene, MX1, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 when compared with control samples (n=9). Immunohistochemical analysis of skin biopsies confirmed upregulation of IL-6 in the epidermis when compared to control. Keratinocytes from healthy skin of lupus patients produced significantly more IL-6 when stimulated by TLR2, 3 or 4 agonists or exposed to UVB radiation when compared to identical passage keratinocytes from healthy controls. Treatment of control keratinocytes with IFNα increased their IL-6 production and blockade of type I IFNs in the culture media of SKE keratinocytes downregulated the secretion of IL-6.ConclusionsIL-6 is increased at the RNA and protein level within cutaneous lupus biopsies when compared to healthy control skin. Keratinocytes are a major producer of IL-6 in the skin and lupus keratinocytes have enhanced production of IL-6 in response to TLR ligands and UV radiation. Exposure to type I IFN can increase IL-6 production in keratinocytes. SLE-derived keratinocytes downregulate IL-6 production in the presence of tonic blockade of the type I IFN receptor. These data suggest that the epidermis, which is an important barrier for environmental insults, is primed for IL-6 production by autocrine type I IFN production and that this may be one mechanism by which factors such as UV exposure may trigger rash development. Further investigations should focus on the pathogenic significance of IL-6 upregulation in the skin and whether targeting this pathway will have an impact on cutaneous disease activity.

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The TWEAK/Fn14 as a novel therapeutic target for cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ◽

10.1016/j.jaad.2011.11.566 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. AB134

Keyword(s):

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Therapeutic Target ◽

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Cutaneous Lupus ◽

Novel Therapeutic

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Expression pattern of tissue-resident memory T cells in cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Lupus ◽

10.1177/09612033211017218 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 096120332110172

Author(s):

Hyeon-Jung Gu ◽

Shinyoung Song ◽

Joo Young Roh ◽

YunJae Jung ◽

Hee Joo Kim

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Memory T Cells ◽

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Discoid Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Type I ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Peripheral Tissues ◽

Resident Memory T Cells ◽

Cutaneous Lupus

Background Tissue resident memory T cells (TRMs) persist long-term in peripheral tissues without recirculation, triggering an immediate protective inflammatory state upon the re-recognition of the antigen. Despite evidence incriminating the dysregulation of TRMs in autoimmune diseases, few studies have examined their expression in cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Objectives We aimed to examine whether there are differences among TRM populations in CLE depending on different clinical conditions, such as the CLE subtype or association with systemic lupus erythematosus, and to determine the effect of type I interferon (IFN) on the development of TRMs in CLE. Methods CLE disease activity was evaluated using the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index. The expression of the TRM markers CD69 and CD103 in CLE lesions was evaluated by immunofluorescence. Flow cytometry was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells after IFNα treatment. Results The number of TRMs expressing either CD69 or CD103 was significantly higher in CLE lesions than in control skin; however, it was not significantly different between discoid lupus erythematosus and subacute CLE, or dependent on the presence of concomitant systemic lupus. Lesional severity was not correlated with an increase in TRMs in CLE. IFNα treatment induced a conspicuous increase in CD69 expression in skin-homing T cells, more profoundly in CD4+ T cells than in CD8+ T cells. Conclusions Skin TRMs, either CD69 or CD103-positive cells, showed increased levels in the lesional skin of CLE, and IFNα increased the expression of CD69 in T cells.

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B Cell Signatures Distinguish Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Subtypes and the Presence of Systemic Disease Activity

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.775353 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Lisa Abernathy-Close ◽

Stephanie Lazar ◽

Jasmine Stannard ◽

Lam C. Tsoi ◽

Sean Eddy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Activity ◽

B Cell ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Systemic Disease ◽

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Discoid Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Type I ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Cutaneous Inflammation ◽

Cutaneous Lupus

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by a diverse cadre of clinical presentations. CLE commonly occurs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and CLE can also develop in the absence of systemic disease. Although CLE is a complex and heterogeneous disease, several studies have identified common signaling pathways, including those of type I interferons (IFNs), that play a key role in driving cutaneous inflammation across all CLE subsets. However, discriminating factors that drive different phenotypes of skin lesions remain to be determined. Thus, we sought to understand the skin-associated cellular and transcriptional differences in CLE subsets and how the different types of cutaneous inflammation relate to the presence of systemic lupus disease. In this study, we utilized two distinct cohorts comprising a total of 150 CLE lesional biopsies to compare discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), and acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ACLE) in patients with and without associated SLE. Using an unbiased approach, we demonstrated a CLE subtype-dependent gradient of B cell enrichment in the skin, with DLE lesions harboring a more dominant skin B cell transcriptional signature and enrichment of B cells on immunostaining compared to ACLE and SCLE. Additionally, we observed a significant increase in B cell signatures in the lesional skin from patients with isolated CLE compared with similar lesions from patients with systemic lupus. This trend was driven primarily by differences in the DLE subgroup. Our work thus shows that skin-associated B cell responses distinguish CLE subtypes in patients with and without associated SLE, suggesting that B cell function in skin may be an important link between cutaneous lupus and systemic disease activity.

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