title: OKT4+ T cell abnormality in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus: HLA-DR antigen expressions.
abstract: The objective of this study was to define immunologic T cell abnormality characteristic of active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Eight of nine patients who had severe clinical and laboratory manifestations of active SLE had a characteristically marked increase in OKT4+ and a decrease in OKT8+ T cells. Using OKIa1 and OKDR monoclonal antibody, we found that, in circulating blood of all patients with active SLE, an increased percentage of Ia+ and DR+ T cells is present compared to inactive SLE. Five of these active SLE patients had Tac+ antigens, an interleukin 2 receptor on OKT4+ and OKT8+ T cell subsets in resting blood. The present study demonstrates that Ia+ and DR+ antigens are selectively expressed on the majority of OKT4+ T cell subsets of all patients with active SLE, whereas Ia+ and DR+ antigens are expressed almost equally on both OKT4+ and OKT8+ T cell subsets in inactive SLE. The elevated percentage of Ia+, DR+, OKT4+ T cells in active SLE was accompanied by a highly depressed proliferative response to T cell mitogens, phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A. However, OKT8+ T cell subsets in active SLE possessed a normal proliferative response to these T cell mitogens. We conclude that this abnormality of activated OKT4+ T cells bearing HLA-DR antigens may play a role in the development of active SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, King Saud University, College of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raziuddin
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Danial
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II