sle - complex cytokine effects in a complex autoimmune disease tumor necrosis factor in systemic lupus erythematosus系统性红斑狼疮,复杂的细胞因子的影响在一个复杂的自身免疫性疾病肿瘤坏死因子在系统性红斑狼疮.pdf

Arthritis Research Therapy Vol 5 No 4 Aringer and Smolen Commentary SLE Complex cytokine effects in a complex autoimmune disease: tumor necrosis factor in systemic lupus erythematosus Martin Aringer and Josef S Smolen Department of Rheumatology, Internal Medicine III, University of Vienna, Austria Corresponding author: Josef S Smolen (e-mail: josef.smolen@khl.magwien.gv.at) Received: 7 Mar 2003 Accepted: 16 Apr 2003 Published: 14 May 2003 Arthritis Res Ther 2003, 5:172-177 (DOI 10.1186/ar770) © 2003 BioMed Central Ltd (Print ISSN 1478-6354; Online ISSN 1478-6362) Abstract Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a proinflammatory cytokine and a B-cell growth factor. It has numerous possible effects on T lymphocytes and dendritic cells, and it influences apoptosis. These differential effects may in part explain why patients under TNF-blocker therapy can develop autoantibodies to nuclear antigens, and may shed some light on the finding that low TNF fosters autoimmune disease in some mouse strains. On the contrary, TNF is increased in the blood and in the inflamed kidneys of systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Several studies in lupus-prone mice other than the F1 generation of New Zealand Black mice crossed with New Zealand White mice suggest that TNF is highly proinflammatory in the efferent limb and is potentially detrimental in lupus organ disease. Therefore, TNF blockade probably constitutes an efficacious therapeutic option. Keywords: autoantibodies, cytokines, immune regu