Figure 6. IL-7R blockade inhibits disease in MRL-Fas^lpr mice.

(A) IL-7R blockade by anti-IL-7Rα antibody. MRL-Fas^lpr mice (6 weeks old) were treated with anti-IL-7Rα antibody or PBS, 3 times weekly for 4 weeks, and expression of IL-7Rα was determined. (B–E) Prophylactic anti-IL-7Rα antibody treatment. Young female MRL-Fas^lpr mice (6 weeks old) were treated with anti-IL-7Rα or PBS for 6 to 10 weeks. Antibody levels (E) were assessed after 6 weeks, dermatitis (B) after 8 weeks, and weights (± SD) of inguinal, axillary and cervical LNs and spleen (C) after 10 weeks of treatment. B and T cell subsets (D) were examined in LNs and spleen after 10 weeks of treatment. (F-G) Therapeutic anti-IL-7Rα antibody treatment. Female MRL-Fas^lpr mice (14 weeks old) with established disease (lymphadenopathy and anti-chromatin autoantibodies) were treated with anti-IL-7Rα or PBS for 3 to 10 weeks. Proteinuria, glomerulonephritis (GN) and lymphocytic infiltration (LI) were determined between 14 and 20 weeks of age (E), and survival at 24 weeks of age (F). Data are representative of 1–5 independent experiments with 3–9 mice/group.