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B-lymphocyte alloantigens associated with systemic lupus erythematosus
The New England Journal of Medicine
|September 7, 1978
Summary
Certain B-lymphocyte alloantigens are more frequent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These antigens, controlled by the major histocompatibility complex, may play a role in SLE development.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Rheumatology
- Human Leukocyte Antigens
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease.
- The role of specific B-lymphocyte alloantigens in SLE pathogenesis is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of B-lymphocyte alloantigens in patients with SLE.
- To determine if specific Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) -DRw types are associated with SLE.
Main Methods:
- Serological typing of B-lymphocytes using pregnancy serums in 41 SLE patients and 184 controls.
- HLA-DRw typing of 28 SLE patients and comparison with 490 controls from the Seventh International Histocompatibility Workshop.
Main Results:
- One B-lymphocyte alloantigen (la-715) showed significantly higher reactivity in SLE patients (75.6%) compared to controls (14.1%).
- Increased frequencies of HLA-DRw2 (57.1% vs. 26.4%) and HLA-DRw3 (46.4% vs. 22.2%) were observed in SLE patients.
- These B-lymphocyte alloantigens are controlled by genes within the major histocompatibility complex.
Conclusions:
- Specific B-lymphocyte alloantigens and HLA-DRw types are significantly more prevalent in individuals with SLE.
- These findings suggest a potential genetic predisposition to SLE linked to the major histocompatibility complex.