[Preliminary study on apoptosis and expression of apoptosis-related genes in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].
This study was conducted to explore the clinical implication of the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labelling technique and flow cytometry were used to detect the apoptotic cell; immunohistochemistry ABC was used to detect the expressions of bcl-2 and Fas in 29 cases of SLE. The results showed that the rate of apoptosis of PBL in SLE patients was significantly higher than that in normal control (P < 0.001), and that in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (P < 0.001). After 48 hour's culture, the apoptotic rate further increased in SLE patients (33.44%). There was a significant correlation between the SLE activity and the rate of apoptosis in vitro (r = 0.86, P < 0.001). The rate of apoptosis of PBL in SLE-nephritis patients was higher than that in non-SLE-nephritis patients (P < 0.01). Before and after the culture, the expressions of bcl-2 and Fas in PBL of patients with SLE were higher than those in normal control (P < 0.01, P < 0.001). So the authors suggest that increased rate of apoptosis may be used as an index for evaluating the severity of SLE cases.
Xie
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, WCUMS, Chengdu 610041.
Wang
Z
Z
Liu
X
X
Qiang
O
O
Liu
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019014:fas Receptor