Concomitant reduction of disease activity and IL-10 secreting peripheral blood mononuclear cells during immunoadsorption in patients with active systenic lupus erythematosus.
In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) increased secretion of interleukin 10 (IL-10) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) is associated with overproduction of pathogenic autoantibodies. Herein we report the effect of immunoadsorption (IA) on the number of IL-10 secreting PBMC in patients with active SLE. Three courses of IA were performed in 9 patients with active SLE (SLAM 15,9+/-2,9). Each course consisted of 3 treatments on consecutive days. ELISPOT assay using IL-10 specific monoclonal antibodies was used to determine the number of IL- 10 secreting PBMC before and after each treatment. Eleven healthy, age and sex matched volunteers served as controls. Anti-ds-DNA autoantibodies were reduced to 67+/-14% after the treatment period. Before therapy patients showed significantly more spontaneously IL-10 secreting PBMC than controls (p<0.01). After the first course a significant reduction of the IL-10 secreting cells to normal levels was observed which paralleled the development of disease activity (p<0.01). Our results demonstrate a concomitant reduction of disease activity, anti-ds-DNA antibodies and the number of IL-10 secreting PBMC. The production of anti-ds-DNA antibodies and IL-10 are interdependent. Thus we conclude that IA is beneficial in SLE by depletion of these pathogenic antibodies which may lead to a reduced IL-10 secretion in vivo.
Willeke
Peter
P
Department of Medicine B, Westphalian-Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany. willeke.peter@uni-muenster.de
Schotte
Heiko
H
Erren
Michael
M
Schlüther
Bernhard
B
Mickholz
Eva
E
Domschke
Wolfram
W
Gaubitz
Markus
M
D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D016753:Interleukin-10