Monocyte in vitro function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). III. Bactericidal activity in presence of SLE-sera.
The bactericidal activity of normal monocytes in the presence of serum from 14 patients with SLE was studied with a modification of the Maaloe technique. The bactericidal activity was impaired in the presence of sera from 8/14 patients. The group with abnormal bacterial killing showed higher clinical activity than did the group with normal killing capacity. Corticosteroid therapy was also more common among patients with reduced killing. A further difference between patients with abnormal and normal killing was that the former had more episodes of infection during a 2-year follow-up period.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus