Occupational exposure to crystalline silica (cSiO₂) is etiologically associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and other autoimmune diseases. cSiO₂'s autoimmune effects in humans can be mimicked chronically in female lupus-prone NZBWF1 mice following repeated exposure to the particle. However, the immediate and short-term effects of cSiO₂ in this widely used model of autoimmune disease are not well-understood. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that a single acute cSiO₂ dose triggers early presentation of cellular, histopathological, transcriptomic, and protein biomarkers of inflammation and autoimmunity in lupus-prone mice. Eight-week old female NZBWF1 mice were intranasally instilled once with 2.5 mg cSiO₂ or saline vehicle and necropsied at 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d post-instillation (PI). Analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue revealed that by 7 d PI, acute cSiO₂ exposure persistently provoked: (i) robust recruitment of macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes into the alveoli, (ii) cell death as reflected by increased protein, double-stranded DNA, and lactate dehydrogenase activity, (iii) elevated secretion of the cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and B cell activation factor (BAFF), and (iv) upregulation of genes associated with chemokines, proinflammatory cytokines, lymphocyte activation, and type I interferon signaling. The appearance of these endpoints was subsequently followed by the emergence in the lung of organized CD3⁺ T cells (14 d PI) and CD45R⁺ B cells (21 d PI) that were indicative of ectopic lymphoid structure (ELS) development. Taken together, acute cSiO₂ exposure triggered a rapid onset of autoimmune disease pathogenesis that was heralded in the lung by unresolved inflammation and cell death, proinflammatory cytokine production, chemokine-driven recruitment of leukocytes, an interferon response signature, B and T cell activation, and ELS neogenesis. This short-term murine model provides valuable new insight into potential early mechanisms of cSiO₂-induced lupus flaring and, furthermore, offers a rapid venue for evaluating interventions against respirable particle-triggered inflammation and autoimmunity.

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