Absence of up-regulation for a proliferation-inducing ligand in Sjögren's sialadenitis lesions

• Published in: Rheumatology 2011-07, Vol.50 (7), p.1211-1215
• Main Authors: Lombardi, Tommaso, Moll, Solange, Youinou, Pierre, Pers, Jacques-Olivier, Tzankov, Alexander, Gabay, Cem, Santiago-Raber, Marie-Laure, Chizzolini, Carlo, Huard, Bertrand
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy, Needle; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunology; Life Sciences; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Plasma Cells; Plasma Cells - cytology; Plasma Cells - metabolism; Salivary Glands, Minor; Salivary Glands, Minor - pathology; Sampling Studies; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sialadenitis; Sialadenitis - complications; Sialadenitis - metabolism; Sialadenitis - pathology; Sjogren's Syndrome; Sjogren's Syndrome - complications; Sjogren's Syndrome - metabolism; Sjogren's Syndrome - pathology; Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13; Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 - genetics; Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 - metabolism; Up-Regulation; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 1462-0324; 1462-0332; 1460-2172
• DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker016

Objective. To determine whether a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) has a role in the survival of plasma cells infiltrating salivary glands from SS patients. Methods. We performed immunological staining for APRIL in minor salivary glands from SS with a pair of antibodies specifically recognizing APRIL-producing cells and secreted APRIL. Results. Despite high leucocyte infiltration, APRIL-producing cells, identified as neutrophils, were rare in SS salivary glands. Keratinocytes from the adjacent oral epithelium also produced APRIL, but we never detected significant levels of secreted APRIL in SS salivary glands. We obtained similar results with B-cell lymphomas associated with SS. In fact, there was no significant difference in APRIL production and the level of secreted APRIL in these pathological samples compared with normal corresponding tissues. Conclusion. The combined observation that APRIL production is not up-regulated in lesions from SS patients, and that secreted APRIL is not retained in these lesions, indicates that plasma cells frequently present in SS lesions may not rely on APRIL for survival, as they do in other rheumatic diseases.