Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
CD72 downregulation on DN2 B cells is associated with disease activity and resistance to rituximab in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors' conclusion
We showed that DN2 B cells in SLE have reduced CD72 expression, which is associated with anti-dsDNA positivity, complement consumption, and enhanced BCR downstream signalling. The relative resistance of CD72-negative B cells to RTX indicates that an impaired checkpoint programme in lupus B cells may potentially contribute to disease relapse.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with SLE26 with active disease
- Participants
- 30 patients
- Comparison
- SLE patients vs healthy controls; B cell CD72 expression before and after rituximab (RTX)
- SLEn = 30
- RTXn = 7
- Outcome
- CD72 expression on B cells
Methodological detailsspectral flow cytometry, in vitro B cell receptor (BCR) signalling
- Spectral flow cytometry
- In vitro BCR signalling
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Active SLE showed increased frequencies of CD72-negative B cells in switched memory (SWM), activated naïve (aNAV), DN2 and plasmablast (PB) subsets vs healthy controls (HCs)
- CD72-negative DN2 cells elevated in LN patients
- CD72-negative DN2 cells expressed higher CD95 and lower CD20 vs HCs and canonical SLE DN2
- Upon BCR stimulation, lupus CD72-negative SWM and DN2 B cells displayed increased pSYK phosphorylation vs CD72-positive counterparts and the overall cell population
- CD72-negative DN2 frequencies associated positively with SLEDAI-2K and inversely with C3 levels, and were increased in anti-dsDNA-positive patients
- After RTX, the remaining DN2 cells were primarily CD72-negative at 3 months
Original publication
CD72 downregulation on DN2 B cells is associated with disease activity and resistance to rituximab in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 18 February 2026. doi:10.
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