Modulation of the Fcgamma receptors induced by anti-Ro and anti-La autoantibodies: observations in salivary gland cells

Only few reports have shown protein expression of the Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaRs) molecules on human salivary gland cells. In this study we investigate a possible upregulation of FcgammaRs following anti-Ro and anti-La autoantibodies treatment. Anti-Ro and anti-La autoantibodies were purified from IgG fractions obtained from 14 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), using Sepharose 4B-Ro and Sepharose 4B-La affinity columns. Flow cytometry and RT-PCR were used to study the FCgammaRI, FCgammaRII and FCgammaRIII receptors expression and upregulation by anti-Ro and anti-La on a salivary gland cell line. The present data document that the anti-Ro and anti-La autoantibodies determine an increase of the FcgammaRs expression on salivary gland cells, and provide evidence that both the high affinity FcgammaRI and the low affinity FcgammaRII and FcgammaRIII are overexpressed. Treatment with IgG isolated from healthy donors had no effect on the basal FCgammaRs expression.