title: High levels of bcl-2 protein in circulating T lymphocytes, but not B lymphocytes, of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Defective regulation of programmed cell death (apoptosis) may play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases, and the proto-oncogene bcl-2 is involved in the control of apoptosis in immunocompetent cells. We therefore wished to investigate the expression of bcl-2 in the peripheral lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a prototypical autoimmune disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of bcl-2 expression in the lymphocytes of patients with SLE and, for comparison, in the lymphocytes of healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic bacterial infections, and chronic B cell lymphocytic leukemia were studied by 2-color cytofluorography and RNA analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In SLE patients, a significant proportion of T cells expressed increased amounts of bcl-2 protein. By fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, bcl-2--enriched lymphocytes were found in the CD45RO+ as well as in the CD45RO-, and also in the CD4+ and CD8+, lymphocyte subpopulations. Mononuclear cells of patients with SLE showed increased amounts of bcl-2 messenger RNA. An increased percentage of strongly bcl-2 positive peripheral T lymphocytes was found in patients with bacterial infections, but not in those with RA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the occurrence of circulating T lymphocytes with abnormally high bcl-2 expression is not specific for SLE, it is evidence for a dysregulation of lymphocytic programmed cell death in this autoimmune disease.
authors.affiliation: University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aringer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wintersberger
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiener
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Presterl
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Smolen
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Graninger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger