Objective: <\/strong>Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). B cells play a key role in the pathogenesis of lupus, and anti-BAFF therapy has been approved for use in SLE. Since mature B cells also promote atherosclerosis, we undertook this study to evaluate, in a mouse model and in SLE patients, whether BAFF neutralization has an atheroprotective effect in SLE. <\/p>\n\n Methods: <\/strong>The effect of BAFF on atherosclerosis associated with lupus was investigated in the atherosclerosis\/lupus-prone apolipoprotein E-knockout D227K mouse model and in a cohort of SLE patients. Mice were treated with a blocking anti-BAFF monoclonal antibody (mAb), while fed a standard chow diet. Carotid plaque and carotid intima-media thickness were assessed by ultrasound at baseline and during follow-up in SLE patients who were asymptomatic for CVD. <\/p>\n\n Results: <\/strong>Anti-BAFF mAb in ApoE-\/-<\/sup> D227K mice induced B cell depletion, efficiently treated lupus, and improved atherosclerosis lesions (21% decrease; P = 0.007) in mice with low plasma cholesterol levels but worsened the lesions (17% increase; P = 0.06) in mice with high cholesterol levels. The atheroprotective effect of the BAFF-BAFF receptor signaling inhibition on B cells was counterbalanced by the proatherogenic effect of the BAFF-TACI signaling inhibition on macrophages. In SLE patients, blood BAFF levels were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis (r = 0.26, P = 0.03). Anti-BAFF mAb treatment had a differential effect on the intima-media thickness progression in SLE patients depending on body mass index. <\/p>\n\n Conclusion: <\/strong>Depending on the balance between lipid-induced and B cell-induced proatherogenic conditions, anti-BAFF could be detrimental or beneficial, respectively, to atherosclerosis development in SLE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false},"category_publication":[],"class_list":["post-80495","publication","type-publication","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"numero_de_publication":"Arthritis Rheumatol.","date_de_publication":"20210131","numero_doi":"","equipe":[334],"auteurs-liste":[{"texte_libre":false,"auteur-lien":13184,"auteur-text":""},{"texte_libre":true,"auteur-lien":null,"auteur-text":"Guillaume Even"},{"texte_libre":false,"auteur-lien":13095,"auteur-text":""},{"texte_libre":true,"auteur-lien":null,"auteur-text":"Julie Chezel"},{"texte_libre":true,"auteur-lien":null,"auteur-text":"Anh-Thu Gaston"},{"texte_libre":true,"auteur-lien":null,"auteur-text":"Brigitte Escoubet"},{"texte_libre":false,"auteur-lien":13134,"auteur-text":""},{"texte_libre":false,"auteur-lien":13051,"auteur-text":""},{"texte_libre":true,"auteur-lien":null,"auteur-text":"Antonino Nicoletti"},{"texte_libre":false,"auteur-lien":13151,"auteur-text":""}],"auteurs-manuel":"","liens_externes":[{"url":"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32783382\/"}],"liens":null,"paragraphe":"","paragraphe_en":"","documents":null},"yoast_head":"\n