Abstract
Thirty-seven patients with criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 18 normal controls were studied for their spontaneous background IgM antibody plaque-forming clell number to specific chemical haptens. Active SLE patients had significantly more plaque-forming cells in their peripheral blood to a total of five chemical determinants than did patients with inactive disease or controls. This increased number of plaque forming-cells correlated with depressed serum C3 levels by Spearman rank-order analysis. The finding of elevated numberof spontaneous IgM plaque-forming cells to defined chemical haptens supports the concept that active SLE demonstrates a generalized increase in B-cell activity toward a variety of antigens.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 829-833 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Arthritis and Rheumatism |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 3 |
State | Published - Apr 1977 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
- Rheumatology