THU0538 Association of Interleukin-27 Elevation with Abnormal B Cell Functions in Patients with Sjogren's Syndrome

Background Interleukin (IL)-27 is a new member of IL-6/IL-12 family involved in isotype switching and plasma cell differentiation of naive B cells. Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate the association of IL-27 with B cell functions in patients with Sjogren9s syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disease characterized by B-cell hyperactivity. Methods B cell activation was measured by the percentages of CD40 and CD69 positive cells in total CD19 + B cells under flow cytometry. Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and Annexin V were marked to detect B cell proliferation and apoptosis respectively. CD27 and CD138 were used to identify the trend of CD19 + B cell differentiation. To verify the role of IL-27 on B cell regulation, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from SS patients and healthy controls were stimulated by B cell activators including anti-CD40, recombinant human IL-4, CpG-ODN and F(ab)2 goat anti-human IgM with or without the presence of IL-27 at the concentration of 50ng/ml. 72 or 96 hours later, cells were harvested and detected for B cell activation, proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. Levels of several cytokines that have been reported to participate in B cell regulation, including IL-27, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4 and BAFF, were detected by ELISA. Results Compared with healthy controls, the percentages of active B cells (CD40 or CD69 positive in total CD19 + B cells) were elevated in SS patients ( p both p both p p Conclusions IL-27 elevation contributes to B cell hyperactivity in SS patients. Treatment targeting IL-27 may be promising for the amelioration of this disease. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2416