T Lymphocyte Subsets in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

✍ Scribed by Antony C. Bakke; Purnell A. Kirkland; Rodanthi C. Kitridou; Francisco P. Quismorio Jr.; Thomas Rea; Glenn R. Ehresmann; David A. Horwitz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 590 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780260607

✦ Synopsis

The contribution of immune regulation to the etiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is poorly understood. Using the monoclonal antibodies OKT4 and OKTS, we quantitated, by flow cytometry, T inducer/ helper and T cytotoxicfsuppressor cells in patients with SLE. Serologically active patients, who had clinical manifestations such as arthritis or rash and were not receiving prednisone, were characteristically lymphopenic due to a marked reduction in OKT4+ cells. Prednisone therapy produced the same phenomenon. Untreated patients, who were serologically inactive, demonstrated no abnormalities. These studies have thus revealed two presumably independent factors that can produce similar immunoregulatory aberrations.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by excessive immunoglobulin and autoantibody production. Although B cell function is increased, T cell functions which include delayed hypersensitivity (1-3, mitogenic reactivity (6,7), generation of antigen-specific reactivities (8), and development of nonspecific suppressor From the