The dynamic epigenetic regulation of the inactive X chromosome in healthy human B cells is dysregulated in lupus patients

Abstract

Pathogenic autoantibodies are a feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), of which 85% of patients are women. Multiple X chromosomes increase the risk for SLE, suggesting an important role for X-linked gene expression for the female sex bias. X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) regulates X-linked gene expression on the inactive X. This study examines XCI maintenance across multiple human B cell subsets from healthy individuals and SLE patients. Importantly, we found that both pediatric and adult SLE patient B cells have significant reductions with epigenetic modifications on the inactive X and aberrant X-linked gene expression. Our findings will be instrumental for future investigations of disease mechanisms underlying the female bias of SLE and abnormal autoantibody production in B cells.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jun 08, 2021
Source ID
10.1073/pnas.2024624118

Entities

People

  • Bam Dev Paneru
  • James J. Knox
  • Jane H Buckner
  • Michael P Cancro
  • Montserrat C Anguera
  • Sarah C Pyfrom
  • Sylvia Posso

Organizations

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • United States Department of Defense
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Virginia Mason Medical Center

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Gulf War Illness and Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Veterans.
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Neurological Diseases/Conditions/Disorders