title: The effect of serum from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus on the immune response of normal lymphocytes.
abstract: In contrast to influences that act to reduce the function of suppressor T cells, we describe a factor found in the sera of 13/28 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that augments the response of normal donor peripheral blood lymphocytes to stimulation by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in vitro. This factor was present in 1/2 of our patients with active SLE, but not in normal blood donors; it required the presence of pooled AB serum in the culture medium; was specific for stimulation by PWM and not by phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A or purified protein derivative; it appeared to act predominantly on B lymphocytes and was neither immunoglobulin nor interferon. This augmentation was seen to a lesser degree with rheumatoid sera, but not with psoriatic arthritis sera or sera of SLE patients on dialysis.
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens