Clinical and immunological characterization of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with circulating interferon...

The simultaneous occurrence of interferon and migration inhibitory factor was found in sera from 9 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Their clinical picture was characterized by a moderate course of the disease. In 7 patients the inflammatory tendoarticular manifestations were accentuated. Glomerulonephritis was found only in 3 patients and was successfully suppressed by immunosuppressive therapy. In the peripheral blood of most of these patients, normal or moderately increased levels of active E-rosettes were found. Therefore we consider these SLE patients as a group with characteristic signs of activated cell-mediated immunity (lymphokine release, active E-rosettes). Although the reason for this activation remains unknown, we suppose that some concomitant bacterial infection, perhaps mycobacterial, may contribute to this immunological phenomenon.