Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of basic leucine zipper transcription factor ATF-like protein (ATF-like, BATF) in the kidney tissue of lupus mice.
Method: 24-week-old female MRL/lpr mice are the lupus nephritis model group, and C57BL/6 female mice of the same age are the normal control group. Western blots were used to detect the protein expression of BATF in kidney tissue, and RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of BATF, RORγt and IL-17 mRNA in kidney tissue. It is also used to detect urine protein in mice. , Serum anti-ds-DNA antibodies and renal histopathology. The correlation between BATF mRNA, RORγt and IL-17 mRNA was analyzed.
Results: The levels of urine protein and serum anti-ds-DNA antibodies in lupus mice were higher than those in normal mice (Pu003c0.05). The renal tissue pathology of lupus mice is mainly manifested by the proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells and the infiltration of renal interstitium by a large number of inflammatory cells. Normal mice have no obvious abnormalities. The expression of BATF mRNA and protein in the kidney tissue of lupus mice was higher than that of normal mice (Pu003c0.05). The expression of RORγt and IL-17 mRNA in the kidney tissue of lupus mice increased, and the expression of BATF mRNA was positively correlated with the expression of RORγt and IL-17 mRNA (r=0.945, 0.876, Pu003c0.05).
Conclusion: BATF mRNA and protein expression in the kidney tissue of lupus mice are higher than those of the control group. BATF may participate in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis by up-regulating Th17 immune response.