Cytokine profiles of skin lesions in murine lupus models

Abstract

Background

Skin lesions of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) have a number of infiltrating T cells, and these T cells and their related cytokines are involved in the development of skin lesions.

Objective

In order to verify the roles of T cells and their related cytokines, we compared the cytokine profiles of LE-like skin lesions in experimentally-induced knock out (KO) mice and autoimmune-prone mice.

Methods

Lesional skin samples were obtained from CD4 KO mice and TCRα KO mice of the B6 background treated with ultraviolet B light (UVBL) and fluorouracil (FU), and MRL/lpr mice. The levels of mRNAs for TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12 were determined by RT-PCR in these skin samples.

Results

Combination treatment with UVBL and FU to TCRα KO mice and CD4 KO mice revealed the importance of CD4⁺ CD8⁻ γδT cells in the induction of drug induced cutaneous LE. Moreover, IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α were upregulated in TCRα KO mice treated with UVBL and FU. In contrast, IFN-γ was not elevated in the spontaneous LE-like skin lesions of MRL/lpr mice.

Conclusions

Cytokine profile pattern varies from strain to strain, and that murine cutaneous LE models, like human LE patients, manifest a wide range of immunological abnormalities, including cytokines.