Kurzfassung

BLyS (BAFF) is a cytokine of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family that act as survival factor for B cells, inhibit apoptosis and induce B cell proliferation and maturation. Thus, BLyS can act as a modulator of the aberrant production of autoantibodies that characterizes systemic lupus erythematosus. It has been reported that BLyS is mainly produced by hematopoietic cells (e.g. monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells) and under distinct circumstances by non-hematopoietic cells like...BLyS (BAFF) is a cytokine of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand family that act as survival factor for B cells, inhibit apoptosis and induce B cell proliferation and maturation. Thus, BLyS can act as a modulator of the aberrant production of autoantibodies that characterizes systemic lupus erythematosus. It has been reported that BLyS is mainly produced by hematopoietic cells (e.g. monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells) and under distinct circumstances by non-hematopoietic cells like fibroblasts. This cytokine can be released as a soluble form or as after proteolytic cleavage of the homotrimeric transmembrane protein with furin-type proteases. Regarding SLE the defined sources of BLyS which contributes to the severity of this autoimmune disease are still unclear. Therefore the aim of this study is to investigate whether renal tubular epithelial cells are an important source of BLyS and thus, contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus» weiterlesen» einklappen