title: Impaired phagocytosis of apoptotic cell material in serologically active clinically quiescent patients with systemic lupus erythematosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serologically active clinically quiescent (SACQ) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) account for 8-12% of all patients with SLE, but there is disagreement about whether such patients are indeed clinically stable. Patients with clinically active SLE have decreased macrophage function, although the status of SACQ patients with SLE is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study compared 18 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for SACQ SLE with 18 healthy volunteers with regard to the capability of macrophages to clear apoptotic bodies by use of a modified serum-free phagocytosis test. Macrophages that naturally differentiated from monocytes were used to engulf apoptotic cells developed from polymorphonuclear neutrophils.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that macrophages from SACQ patients with SLE had less phagocytotic capability than those from healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant reduction of macrophage phagocytotic capability in these patients suggests the potential for disease recurrence. The use of a serum-free method confirmed the presence of intrinsic factors that modulate the decrease of macrophage function in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Nan
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tim K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Tso
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, National Chiayi University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Fen
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Tsay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D015415:Biomarkers; C038245:C3 protein, human; D018925:Chemokines; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D016207:Cytokines
keywords: interleukin; macrophage; monocyte; phagocytosis; systemic lupus erythematosus