[Study on the surface markers on peripheral blood dendritic cells and their secretion of IL-12 and IFN-alpha in SLE patients].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the surface markers on peripheral blood dendritic cells (DCs) in SLE patients and explore the relationship between the DCs and pathogenesis of SLE.


METHODS
The peripheral blood monouclear cells (PBMCs) were separated by density gradient centrifugation. After culture of 3 hours in tissue culture flask, the suspended cells were removed and GM-CSF, IL-4 and TNF-alpha were used to stimulate the proliferation and maturation of the peripheral blood DCs from normal persons and SLE patients. The surface markers on the DCs were analyzed by flow cytometry and the levels of IL-12 and IFN-alpha in supernatants were measured by ELISA after culture of 9 days.


RESULTS
The positive percentages of CD1a, CD11c, CD40, CD83 and CD123 expressed on DCs of SLE patients were (58.88+/-7.64)%, (54.4+/-10.88)%, (37.29+/-8.08)%, (57.76+/-11.54)% and (13.14+/-4.44)%, respectively, whereas those of normal subjects were (47.71+/-4.01)%, (43.12+/-8.82)%, (28.59+/-7.07)%, (48.31+/-8.79)% and (9.85+/-3.97)%, respectively, (P<0.05). But the positive proportion of CD80 expression was (55.16+/-10.12)% in SLE group and (47.95+/-12.21)% in the control group, without significant difference (P>0.05). The level of IL-12 in SLE group was (9.78+/-0.76) ng/L, higher than that in normal group. The level of IFN-alpha in SLE group (2.95+/-0.61) ng/L was not significant difference from that in control group (2.70+/-0.29) ng/L (P>0.05). And there was no significant difference in IL-12 and IFN-alpha levels between non-active and active stages of SLE patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The DCs may be involved in the pathogenetic process of SLE possibly by means of enhancement of antigen presenting function of DCs and secretion of IL-12.
Clinical Medical Research Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Teaching Hospital of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China.
Hui
H
Qi
Fu-rong
FR
Li
Dong-zhou
DZ
Liu
Xue-lu
XL
Xiao
Li-li
LL
Ren
Jin-li
JL
Wen
Rui-fang
RF
Huang
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D015703:Antigens, CD; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12