{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T17:07:42Z","timestamp":1791220062923,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,9,29]],"date-time":"2011-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1317254400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,9,29]],"date-time":"2011-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1317254400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Arthritis Res Ther"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                        <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                        <jats:p>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease accompanied by a disturbed T-cell balance skewed towards effector T-cells, in particular Th17-cells. The novel cytokine interleukin-21 (IL-21) is suggested to be crucial for triggering T-cell responses towards IL-17 producing cells. Thus, we aimed to investigate the ability of T-cells to produce IL-21 and IL-17 in SLE patients.<\/jats:p>\n                     <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                        <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                        <jats:p>Peripheral blood of 34 SLE patients and 18 healthy controls (HC) was stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and calcium ionophore (Ca-Io). Percentages of IL-21- and IL-17A expressing T-cells were analysed by flow cytometry. The expression levels of the transcription factors B-cell lymphoma-6 (BCL-6) and factors retinoid-related orphan receptor (ROR-\u03b3t) were assessed in T-cells by real-time RT-PCR and flow cytometry. Additionally, IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) expression on B- and T-cells of patients and HC was analyzed.<\/jats:p>\n                     <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                        <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                        <jats:p>Significantly increased percentages of IL-21 expressing CD4<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells and CD8<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells were found in SLE patients as compared to HC. The percentages of IL-21<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> CD4<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells and CD8<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells correlated significantly with the percentages of IL-17A<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> CD4<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells and CD8<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells, respectively. The relative expression of BCL-6 and ROR-\u03b3t did not differ between SLE patients and HC. IL-21R expression occurred mainly on B-cells and was not different comparing SLE patients and HC.<\/jats:p>\n                     <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                        <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                        <jats:p>This study demonstrates an increased proportion of IL-21<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells in SLE patients correlating with the proportion of IL-17<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T-cells. This suggests a pivotal role of IL-21 in the pathogenesis of SLE.<\/jats:p>\n                     <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/ar3474","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,9,29]],"date-time":"2011-09-29T18:18:31Z","timestamp":1317320311000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":125,"title":["Increase in IL-21 producing T-cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Sebastian","family":"Dolff","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wayel H","family":"Abdulahad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Johanna","family":"Westra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Berber","family":"Doornbos-van der Meer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pieter C","family":"Limburg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cees GM","family":"Kallenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marc","family":"Bijl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,9,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"3226_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"967","DOI":"10.1038\/ni1488","volume":"8","author":"L Zhou","year":"2007","unstructured":"Zhou L, Ivanov II, Spolski R, Min R, Shenderov K, Egawa T, Levy DE, Leonard WJ, Littman DR: IL-6 programs T(H)-17 cell differentiation by promoting sequential engagement of the IL-21 and IL-23 pathways. 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