CVID-Associated TACI Mutations Affect Autoreactive B Cell Selection and Activation To assess how the number of TACI mutations affects B cell activation and tolerance checkpoints, the authors analyzed healthy individuals and common variable immune deficiency (CVID) patients carrying one or two TACI mutations. They found that TACI interacts with the cleaved, mature forms of TLR7 and TLR9 and plays an important role during B cell activation and the central removal of autoreactive B cells in healthy donors and CVID patients. [J Clin Invest] Full Article | Press Release Human CD4+CD3− Innate-Like T Cells Provide a Source of TNF and Lymphotoxin-αβ and Are Elevated in Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigators identified a rare human CD4+CD3− innate-like lymphoid population with high TNF expression that is enriched in blood from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These CD4+CD3− cells belong to the T cell lineage, but the lack of AgR at the cell surface renders them nonresponsive to TCR-directed stimuli. [J Immunol] Abstract cAMP Responsive Element Modulator (CREM)α Trans-Represses the Transmembrane Glycoprotein CD8 and Contributes to the Generation of CD3+CD4-CD8- T Cells in Health and Disease The authors demonstrated that transcription factor CREMα, which is expressed at increased levels in T cells from systemic lupus erythematosus patients, contributes to transcriptional silencing of CD8A and CD8B. They provide first evidence that CREMα trans-represses a regulatory element 5 of the CD8B gene. [J Biol Chem] Abstract | Full Article Polymorphisms within Toll-Like Receptors Are Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematous in a Cohort of Danish Females The authors examined whether polymorphisms of toll-like receptor (TLR) genes are associated with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) and to determine the expression of various TLRs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with SLE. [Rheumatology] Abstract Circulating TFH Subset Distribution Is Strongly Affected in Lupus Patients with an Active Disease Follicular helper T cells (TFH) subsets that share common phenotypic and functional characteristics with TFH cells from germinal centers, have been described in the peripheral blood from healthy individuals. Researchers analyzed the distribution of such populations in lupus patients. [PLoS One] Full Article Immunogenicity and Safety of Two Doses of a Non-Adjuvanted Influenza A H1N1/2009 Vaccine in Young Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases Patients Researchers aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in children under 9 years old with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD). Thirty-eight ARD patients and 11 healthy children received two doses of non-adjuvanted influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus-like vaccine. [Lupus] Abstract CMV Induces Rapid NK Cell Maturation in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients In individuals experiencing human cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation after transplantation, natural killer (NK) cells rapidly achieved a fully differentiated stage of maturation, characterized by a KIR+NKG2A−NKG2C+CD57+p75/AIRM1− surface phenotype. Patients who never had human CMV reactivation maintained an immature NK phenotype for a long time. Thus, HCMV reactivation, by providing stimulatory signals to maturing NK cells, could be beneficial rather than detrimental. [Immunol Lett] Abstract |