Increased photosensitivity to near-ultraviolet light in murine SLE

We investigated whether there is increased susceptibility to near-UVL in murine SLE. Cultured spleen cells from either strain of mice with lupus disease or conventional strains of mice were exposed to different UVL fractions in vitro. The effect of DNA synthesis, release, and repair was examined. DNA synthesis and release was measured as percent of [3H]thymidine (dT) uptake into either total acid-precipitable radioactive material of cell sediment plus supernatant, or that of the medium alone, whereas hydroxyurea-resistant dT incorporation represented DNA repair. The data indicate that all SLE strains, in contrast to all non-SLE strains, show increased DNA synthesis and release after UV-A exposure. In addition, all murine SLE strains demonstrate increased susceptibility to induction of DNA damage by UV-A. The significance of these observations in relation to the clinical activity of SLE after sunlight exposure is discussed.