1. IMPAIRED RESPONSIVENESS OF LYMPHOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS.
- Author
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Suciu-Foca, Nicole, Buda, J. A., Thiem, Traute, and Reemtsma, K.
- Subjects
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IMMUNE response , *LYMPHOCYTES , *SYSTEMIC lupus erythematosus , *HISTOCOMPATIBILITY , *ANTIGENS , *BLOOD plasma - Abstract
Cellular immune responsiveness, as measured by lymphocyte transformation in one-way mixed leucocyte cultures (MLC) and in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated cultures was evaluated in forty patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in seventy-four normal controls. The effect produced by sera from these subjects on in vitro lymphocyte reactivity was tested on autologous cells and on homologous responding cells from a constant panel of ten healthy volunteers. The reactivity of lymphocytes from SLE patients to PHA and to a battery of allogeneic cells was significantly lower than that of normal controls. Sera from some SLE patients inhibited the MLC reactions, while in other cases a distinct stimulatory effect was found. It is suggested that virus-induced modifications of normal histocompatibility antigens cause the appearance of blocking antibody that might bind to the surface of T lymphocytes, impairing their function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1974