Human IgG+ Plasma Cells in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus [Elektronische Ressource] / Juliane Kofer. Betreuer: Roland Lauster

Human IgG+ Plasma Cells in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus vorgelegt von Diplom-Ingenieurin Juliane Kofer aus Pasewalk Von der Fakultät III - Prozesswissenschaften der Technischen Universität Berlin zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Ingenieurwissenschaften - Dr.-Ing. - genehmigte Dissertation Promotionsausschuss: Vorsitzender: Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Ulf Stahl Gutachter: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Roland Lauster Gutachter: Dr. rer. nat. Hedda Wardemann Tag der wissenschaftlichen Aussprache: 22.03.2011 Berlin 2011 D 83 Whenever they say it can’t be done, remind them that they make a jellybean that tastes exactly like popcorn. John C. Mayer ABSTRACT i ABSTRACT Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that is associated with a major breakdown in B cell self-tolerance as reflected by elevated serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels of predominantly anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs). Serum antibody titers are maintained by short-lived antibody-secreting plasmablasts and long-lived plasma cells, the latter residing in survival niches of the bone marrow. Experimental evidence from mouse models suggests that treatment-resistant bone marrow plasma cells are the major contributor to serum IgG autoantibodies in SLE.