Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1972 Oct;51(10):2669–2677. doi: 10.1172/JCI107085

Cellular Immunity to Nuclear Antigens in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

John A Goldman 1,2, Allen Litwin 1,2, Louis E Adams 1,2, Robert C Krueger 1,2, Evelyn V Hess 1,2
PMCID: PMC332966  PMID: 4560340

Abstract

Cellular immune repsonses were determined by skin testing and mitogen- and antigen-induced blastic transformation of peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures in 24 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 24 normal subjects. The incidence of positive skin tests with Candida albicans, PPD (tuberculin-purified protein derivative) intermediate strength, Trichophyton and histoplasmin was not significantly different in the two groups nor was lymphocyte stimulation by the mitogen phytohemagglutinin-M (PHA-M), implying that cellular immunity is normal in SLE. However, the SLE patients had a significantly increased incidence of positive skin tests and stimulated lymphocyte cultures to a number of nuclear antigens compared with normal subjects. No correlation could be made between the test results and the activity of the SLE at the time of study except for a significant association between lymphocyte culture stimulation by rabbit thymus native DNA and active SLE nephritis. Patients with a membranous antinuclear factor (ANF) pattern had positive skin tests with rabbit thymus native DNA and usually had active disease.

Full text

PDF
2669

Images in this article

2672Image
on p.2672
2673Image
on p.2673

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Allison A. C., Denman A. M., Barnes R. D. Cooperating and controlling functions of thymus-derived lymphocytes in relation to autoimmunity. Lancet. 1971 Jul 17;2(7716):135–140. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)92306-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Azoury F. J., Jones H. E., Derbes V. J., Gum O. B. Intradermal tests and antinuclear factors in systemic lupus erythematosus. A comparative study. Ann Intern Med. 1966 Dec;65(6):1221–1228. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-65-6-1221. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Block S. R., Gibbs C. B., Stevens M. B., Shulman L. E. Delayed hypersensitivity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis. 1968 Jul;27(4):311–318. doi: 10.1136/ard.27.4.311. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CHIEREGATO G. C., FALDARINI G. SULLE INIEZIONI INTRADERMICHE DI AUTOLEUCOCITI E DI ACIDI NUCLEICI NELL'ERITEMATODE. Minerva Dermatol. 1964 Apr;39:108–112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. ELVES M. W., GOUGH J., ISRAUELS M. C. THE PLACE OF THE LYMPHOCYTE IN THE RETICULO-ENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM: A STUDY OF THE IN VITRO EFFECT OF PREDNISOLONE ON LYMPHOCYTES. Acta Haematol. 1964 Aug;32:100–107. doi: 10.1159/000209561. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FARDAL R. W., WINKELMANN R. K. HYPERSENSITIVITY TO DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID IN CUTANEOUS DISEASE. Arch Dermatol. 1965 May;91:503–511. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1965.01600110089018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FRIEDMAN E. A., BARDAWIL W. A., MERRILL J. P., HANAU C. "Delayed" cutaneous hypersensitivity to leukocytes in disseminated lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med. 1960 Mar 10;262:486–491. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196003102621002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HOLMAN H. Systemic lupus erythematosus. A review of certain recent developments in the study of this disease. J Pediatr. 1960 Jan;56:109–119. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(60)80295-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HURVITZ D., HIRSCHHORN K. SUPPRESSION OF IN VITRO LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES BY CHLOROQUINE. N Engl J Med. 1965 Jul 1;273:23–26. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196507012730105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jones H. E., Derbes V. J., Gum O. B., Azoury F. J. Skin tests with nuclear factors in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arch Dermatol. 1967 Jun;95(6):559–564. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mills J. A. The immunologic significance of antigen induced lymphocyte transformation in vitro. J Immunol. 1966 Aug;97(2):239–247. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. NOWELL P. C. Inhibition of human leukocyte mitosis by prednisolone in vitro. Cancer Res. 1961 Dec;21:1518–1521. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nilsson B. S. In vitro lymphocyte reactivity to PPD and phytohaemagglutinin in relation to PPD skin reactivity and age. Scand J Respir Dis. 1971;52(1):39–47. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. ORES R. O., LANGE K. SKIN TEST FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS. Am J Med Sci. 1964 Nov;248:562–566. doi: 10.1097/00000441-196411000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Oppenheim J. J., Wolstencroft R. A., Gell P. G. Delayed hypersensitivity in the guinea-pig to a protein-hapten conjugate and its relationship to in vitro transformation of lymph node, spleen, thymus and peripheral blood lymphocytes. Immunology. 1967 Jan;12(1):89–102. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Patrucco A., Rothfield N. F., Hirschhorn K. The response of cultured lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus to DNA. Arthritis Rheum. 1967 Feb;10(1):32–37. doi: 10.1002/art.1780100105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Playfair J. H. Strain differences in the immune responses of mice. 3. A raised tolerance threshold in NZB thymus cells. Immunology. 1971 Dec;21(6):1037–1043. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rees A. W., Krueger R. C. A new type of deoxyribonucleoprotein isolated from rabbit thymus nuclei. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Jul 23;161(2):558–560. doi: 10.1016/0005-2787(68)90133-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Staples P. J., Gery I., Waksman B. H. Role of the thymus in tolerance. 3. Tolerance to bovine gamma globulin after direct injection of antigen into the shielded thymus of irradiated rats. J Exp Med. 1966 Aug 1;124(2):127–139. doi: 10.1084/jem.124.2.127. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Stulbarg M., Schlossman S. F. The specificity of antigen-induced thymidine-2-14C incorporation into lymph node cells frrom sensitized animals. J Immunol. 1968 Oct;101(4):764–769. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. TROMOVITCH T. A., MARCH C. Intradermal tests with autologous white blood cells in chronic discoid lupus erythematosus. systemic lupus erythematosus and control subjects. J Invest Dermatol. 1961 Nov;37:345–350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Teague P. O., Friou G. J. Antinuclear antibodies in mice. II. Transmission with spleen cells; inhibition or prevention with thymus or spleen cells. Immunology. 1969 Nov;17(5):665–675. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Thomas J. W., Clements D., Grzybowski S. In vitro lymphocyte responses and skin test reactivity following BCG vaccination. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Nov;9(5):611–623. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES