ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the potential role of human cytomegalovirus lower matrix phosphoprotein 65 (HCMV pp65) in murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods The prokaryotic vector pET-28b and eukaryotic vector pcDNA 3.0 were constructed to express the HCMV pp65 protein.All the C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with pp65 eukaryotic vector intramuscularly five times at 2-week intervals and then were bled via the retro-orbital vein.Subsequently,indirect ELISA was used to evaluate the concentration of anti-pp65 IgG,anti-dsDNA and ANA.At the same time,IL-1 b,IL-6,and TNF-α were determined by competitive ELISA.Results The early onset of autoantibodies and an overexpression of IL-6 were observed in immunized male C57BL/6 mice.Conclusion HCMV pp65 triggers the deregulation of humoral immunity in C57BL/6 mice,which indicates that the immune responses induced by HCMV pp65 may be involved in the development of SLE.