Type I interferon signaling is involved in the spontaneous development of lupus-like disease in B6.Nba2 and (B6.Nba2 x NZW)F1 mice

Several studies have described a role for type I interferons (IFN alpha beta) in the initiation and/or prolongation of autoimmune diseases. Most pronounced has been the association of disease activity with what is now known as 'the interferon signature' of gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from lupus patients. In correlation, studies have shown that inhibition of IFNab signaling abrogates disease in various mouse models of lupus. New Zealand black (NZB) and B6.Nba2 congenic mice spontaneously develop elevated levels of serum anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANAs). Nevertheless, neither of these strains develop fatal renal disease. The female F1 offspring of NZB or B6.Nba2 crossed with New Zealand white (NZW) mice do, however, develop kidney disease. We have previously shown that increases in endogenous IFNab levels in (B6.Nba2 x NZW) F1 mice leads to accelerated development of renal disease in an IFN alpha beta-dependent manner. We now show that B6.Nba2 and (B6.Nba2 x NZW)F1 mice deficient for the IFN alpha beta-receptor fail to develop ANA and renal disease, although the mice have substantial immune complex deposition in the glomeruli. Thus, endogenous IFNab might influence disease by affecting B-cell activation and differentiation, as well as the kidneys' susceptibility to damage, the latter perhaps through induction of a local inflammatory milieu.