3H - TdR incorporation of SLE B cells without stimuli (P<0.001) and with CD40L-LZ stimulation (P<0.05) were significantly lower in SLE patients compared with normal controls.
SLE and normal T cells pretreated with estradiol and cultured with ionomycin for 2 h to activate calcineurin showed no significant differences in CD40L mRNA.
In conclusion, these results indicated that CD154 gene polymorphisms may associate with the risk of SLE and may play regulation role in the expression of sCD154 in SLE patients.