Antibodies for T lymphocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Sera of twenty-four patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were evaluated for antibodies cytotoxic for autologous lymphocytes. Such antibodies were domenstrable in twenty-two of these sera, whereas only one out of twenty patients with other connective tissue or lymphoproliferative disease showed a positive test. The antibodies remained detectable even when the patients went into remission. Sera containing the lymphocytotoxic antibodies were tested on cell fractions enriched for T or B lymphocytes. Primarily T lumphocytes wree affected by these antibodies. The presence of antibodies cytotoxic for T lymphocytes corresponded with a deficit of circulating T lymphocytes observed in most of our patients with systemic lupus erythematosys.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D003165:Complement System Proteins