title: Abnormal telomerase activity and telomere length in T and B cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical significance of telomerase activity and telomere length in T and B lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  CD3+ (T cell) and CD19+ (B cell) lymphocytes were isolated from the peripheral blood of SLE patients and healthy controls by means of magnetic bead-coupled antibodies. SLE patients were classified as active or inactive cases according to the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Telomere activity of lymphocytes was measured by telomeric-repeat amplification protocol. Telomere length was measured by flow cytometry-fluorescence in situ hybridization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T cell telomerase activity was significantly higher in patients with both active and inactive SLE than in controls, but was lower than B cell telomerase activity in patients with active SLE, and was not correlated with SLEDAI results. B cell telomerase activity was only significantly higher than in controls in patients with active SLE, and was strongly correlated with SLEDAI. Four laboratory results, anti-dsDNA antibody titer, IgG level, C3 level, and CH50 level, were correlated with B cell telomerase activity. Telomere length in T cells was significantly shorter than in controls. In contrast, the telomere length in B cells did not differ significantly from controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with SLE, many T cells divide continuously. Their telomerase activity was higher than that in control T cells, but not so high as to prevent telomere shortening. In contrast, B cells do not divide abnormally in the inactive phase of SLE, but divide rapidly in the active phase.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan. d_kurosaka@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Daitaro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Asako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Chiho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Isamu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kingetsu
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toyokawa
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Saburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase