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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

The bm12 Inducible Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: November 1, 2015
Telomerase activity in B and T lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
W Klapper1, F Moosig, A Sotnikova
1Department of Haematopathology and Lymph Node Registry Kiel, University Kiel, Germany. wklapper@path.uni-kiel.de.
Objective:
To evaluate telomerase activity as a marker of lymphocyte proliferation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods:
CD19+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood of nine patients with SLE and nine healthy controls by means of magnetic bead-coupled antibodies and tested for telomerase activity with the TRAP assay.
Results:
Telomerase activity was significantly increased in CD19+ B cells from patients with SLE. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from lupus patients displayed increased mean telomerase activity, although the difference from normal controls did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions:
Increased telomerase activity in the B and the T cell lineage might indicate activation and proliferation of these lymphocytes.
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