Variants of SLE--a statistical approach for discrimination of a group of SLE cases into different subgroups sharing symptomatology. A pilot study.

Symptoms of two groups of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Group 1 constituted 65 patients examined from 1975 to 1981; Group 2 constituted 104 patients examined from 1980 to 1988), which were diagnosed according to the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) preliminary criteria, were statistically analyzed with the use of a package of statistical programs which included computation of a matrix of correlation and cluster analysis. In both groups similar frequency and associations of SLE symptoms were seen. Hence, there was a positive correlation between kidney involvement and hematological abnormalities with nDNA Abs what was a hallmark of a severe SLE.

Interleukin 2 induces appearance of LGL/Leu11+/K562 lytic cells in Leu11- low density peripheral blood mononuclear cell population.

Low density Percoll fraction cells cultured with interleukin 2 (IL-2) showed a higher proportion of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) and higher K562 cytolytic activity, as compared to a culture lacking IL-2. Furthermore, in a negatively selected Leu11- population, derived from low density cells, cultured for 7 days in medium supplemented with lymphocyte (L) or recombinant (R) IL-2, there appeared LGL and Leu11+ cells. Moreover, some level of K562 lytic activity and higher proportion of DR+ and Tac+ cells was found as compared to lacking IL-2 culture.

Effect of human recombinant interleukin 2 on natural killing of low density Percoll fraction cells.

Human recombinant IL-2 (R IL-2) was used to validate the ability of this lymphokine to increase NK cell activity. It was found that R IL-2 was able to augment the K562 lytic activity of phagocyte-depleted mononuclear cells of low density in a dose dependent manner. This phenomenon was detectable after 24 h of incubation.