Tolerogenic probiotics Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus promote anti‐inflammatory profile of macrophages‐derived monocytes of newly diagnosed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is known as an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by the breakdown of self‐tolerance, resulting in disease onset and progression. Macrophages have been implicated as a factor in the development of SLE through faulty phagocytosis of dead cells or an imbalanced M1/M2 ratio. The study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus on M1 and M2 macrophages in new case lupus patients. For this purpose, blood monocytes were collected from lupus patients and healthy people and were cultured for 5 days to produce macrophages. For 48 h, the macrophages were then cocultured with either probiotics or lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Flow cytometry and real‐time polymerase chain reaction were then used to analyze the expression of cluster of differentiation (CD) 14, CD80, and human leukocyte antigen – DR (HLADR) markers, as well as cytokine expression (interleukin [IL]1‐β, IL‐12, tumor necrosis factor α [TNF‐α], IL‐10, and transforming growth factor beta [TGF‐β]). The results indicated three distinct macrophage populations, M0, M1, and M2. In both control and patient‐derived macrophage‐derived monocytes (MDMs), the probiotic groups showed a decrease in CD14, CD80, and HLADR expression compared to the LPS group. This decrease was particularly evident in M0 and M2 macrophages from lupus patients and M1 macrophages from healthy subjects. In addition, the probiotic groups showed increased levels of IL‐10 and TGF‐β and decreased levels of IL‐12, IL1‐β, and TNF‐α in MDMs from both healthy and lupus subjects compared to the LPS groups. Although there was a higher expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in lupus patients, there was a higher expression of anti‐inflammatory cytokines in healthy subjects. In general, L. delbrueckii and L. rhamnosus could induce anti‐inflammatory effects on MDMs from both healthy and lupus subjects. Significance statement: Macrophages have been implicated as a factor in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus through faulty phagocytosis of dead cells or an imbalanced M1/M2 ratio. The study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus on M1 and M2 macrophages in new case lupus patients. L. delbrueckii and L. rhamnosus could induce anti‐inflammatory effects on macrophage‐derived monocytes (MDMs) from both healthy and lupus subjects. In both control and patient‐derived MDMs, the probiotic groups showed a decrease in cluster of differentiation (CD) 14, CD80, and Human Leukocyte Antigen – DR expression compared to the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) group. Also observed the increased levels of interleukin (IL)‐10 and transforming growth factor beta and decreased levels of IL‐12, IL1‐β, and tumor necrosis factor α in MDMs from both healthy and lupus subjects compared to the LPS groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]