Effects of CD134 monoclonal antibody on hemolysis activities and expression of perforin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Perforin had been demonstrated to play important roles in the pathology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which was a potential target of clinical treatment of SLE. CD134 was a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, which had been demonstrated to inhibit expression of perforin mRNA. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of CD134 monoclonal antibody (MAb) on expression and hemolysis activities of perforin and its mechanisms. Effects of CD134 MAb on hemolysis activities of perforin were measured by rabbit red blood cells. Effects of CD134 MAb on expression of perforin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method and flow cytometry. Then, expression of NF-kappaB P65 was detected by Western blot. The results showed that CD134 MAb could inhibit hemolysis activities and expression of perforin through decreasing expression of NF-kappaB P65. The inhibition effects were positively correlated to the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and 24-hour protein-uria of SLE patients in active state. CD134 MAb is suggested to be a potential treatment for SLE patients.