RT Journal Article T1 Clinical relevance of circulating anti-ENA and anti-dsDNA secreting cells from SLE patients and their dependence on STAT-3 activation. A1 de la Varga Martínez, Raquel A1 Rodríguez-Bayona, Beatriz A1 Añez, Gustavo A A1 Medina Varo, Fermín A1 Pérez Venegas, José J A1 Brieva, José A A1 Rodríguez, Carmen K1 Anti-ENA K1 Anti-dsDNA K1 Antibody-secreting cells K1 Cytokines K1 Plasma cell niche K1 SLE K1 STAT-3 AB Disturbances of plasma cell homeostasis and auto-antibody production are hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this study was to explore the presence of circulating anti-ENA and anti-dsDNA antibody-secreting cells, to determine their dependence on plasma cell-niche cytokines and to analyze their clinical value. The study was performed in SLE patients with serum anti-ENA and/or anti-dsDNA antibodies (n = 57). Enriched B-cell fractions and sorted antibody-secreting cells (CD19low CD38high ) were obtained from blood. dsDNA- and ENA-specific antibody-secreting cells were identified as cells capable of active auto-antibody production in culture. The addition of a combination of IL-6, IL-21, BAFF, APRIL, and CXCL12 to the cultures significantly augmented auto-antibody production and antibody-secreting cell proliferation, whereas it diminished apoptosis. The effect on auto-antibody production was dependent on STAT-3 activation as it was abrogated in the presence of the JAK/STAT-3 pathway inhibitors ruxolitinib and stattic. Among patients with serum anti-dsDNA antibodies, the detection of circulating anti-dsDNA-antibody-secreting cells was associated with higher disease activity markers. In conclusion, auto-antibody production in response to plasma cell-niche cytokines that are usually at high levels in SLE patients is dependent on JAK/STAT-3 activation. Thus, patients with circulating anti-dsDNA antibody-secreting cells and active disease could potentially benefit from therapies targeting the JAK/STAT3 pathway. YR 2017 FD 2017-05-23 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/11156 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/11156 LA en DS RISalud RD Apr 12, 2025