title: Changes in subset specificity of anti-T cell autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Relative reactivity of anti-lymphocyte autoantibodies (ALA) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) against CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was studied using C-dependent microcytotoxicity assay. Of 46 SLE sera screened for anti-T cell autoantibodies, 27 sera (59%) showed significant cytotoxic reactivity. Of these, positive correlation between the titer of anti-T cell antibody and CD4/CD8 killing ratio (p < 0.01) was demonstrated. In time course study of individual patients, the CD4/CD8 killing ratio increased and decreased as the disease flared and subsided and was accompanied by parallel changes in the titer of anti-T cell antibody titer. Moreover, as sera were serially diluted, the CD4/CD8 killing ratio decreased in 5 out of 10 sera. These results suggest that discrepancy among reports concerning the subset specificity of anti-T cell antibodies may be due, in part, to differences in the titer of ALA in the sera studied and to the dilution of serum used.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minota
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nojima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies