Erythroid colony forming cells in systemic lupus erythematosus

The incidence of erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow was studied in 9 patients with systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) in the absence of corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy. The incidence of late erythropoietic precursors (CFU-E) was diminished in SLE. The colony formation of marrow CFU-E was inhibited by the addition of allogeneic and autologous T lymphocytes from SLE patients before the prescription of corticosteroid. These results suggest that the T cell mediated suppression of erythroid progenitor cells may play an important role in a pathogenesis of erythropoietic failure in SLE.