[Comparative analysis of clinical and laboratory charactiristics of antiphospholipid syndrome].

The authors detected lupus anticoagulant and/or anticardiolipin antibodies in 1519 patients' blood samples between 1986-1999 in 3rd Department of Internal Medicine of Medical School of Debrecen. Examining only the proved thrombotic events and fetal losses as symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome 218 patients had suffered from this syndrome. Secunder antiphospholipid syndrome was the diagnosis in case of 420 patients, the most common in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (288 patients).

[Favorable in vitro effect of pentoxifylline on damaged lymphocyte migration in arteriosclerosis obliterans and systemic lupus erythematosus].

Decreased blood cell--e.g. lymphocyte--motility is seen in a number of vascular and autoimmune diseases.

Effect of pentoxifylline on decreased in vitro mononuclear leucocyte chemotaxis in vascular and polysystemic autoimmune diseases.

Impaired mononuclear leucocyte (MNL) motility can be found both in vascular and autoimmune diseases. Pentoxifylline (PTX) has a well-known therapeutic effect in vascular diseases, which is based on the rearrangement of blood cell cytoskeleton and thus increased microcirculatory flow. Most data on PTX concern red blood cells and granulocytes so now the effect of PTX on previously decreased MNL migration and chemotaxis was investigated in vitro.

[Reflections on non-differentiated collagenosis or non-differentiated autoimmune syndrome].

The authors review the Non-Differentiated Collagenosis (NDC) described by Gyula Petrányi 29 years ago, and try to establish whether it is still necessary to maintain this clinical picture. Relying on data from special literature and on their own findings, the authors conclude that the maintenance of the NDC terminology is justified by the fact that poly-systemic autoimmune diseases take time to develop and that at certain stages of this development it is almost impossible to make a firm decision as to which clinical picture the process will lead to. The authors discuss the clinical and immunological features of NDC, the implications for the patients and things to be done in order to recognise the NDC disease process.

The antigen/receptor specificity of antigranulocyte antibodies in patients with SLE.

The antigen/receptor specificity of antigranulocyte antibodies (AGAs) detected in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was investigated by inhibitory immunofluorescence test and Western immunoblotting technique. The interactions of AGAs with antigens of intact normal granulocytes were determined by inhibiting the binding of different myeloid monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Seven of the studied 12 sera revealed binding to CD15 (X hapten) and/or to CD16 (FcR1o).

Granulocyte-rosette assay for detection of anti-lymphocyte antibodies.

It is well known that the serum of SLE patients contain anti-lymphocyte antibodies (ALA). In this paper we present a new rosette-forming assay for investigation of ALA. The method is based on the first step of antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC): the adherence of Fc-receptor bearing effector cells to the lymphocytes coated by antibodies.

Defective immune complex degradation by monocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The binding of 125I-labelled anti-bovine serum albumin (BSA)-BSA immune complexes (IC), giving a final molar antibody to antigen ratio of 1:1, to monocytes isolated from 18 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and from 10 normal healthy donors was quantitatively investigated. The degradation of the bound IC by the same monocytes was kinetically determined at the same time. The assays were performed on monocyte monolayers.

Heterogeneity of systemic lupus erythematosus elucidated by cluster analysis. The influence of HLA.

For 75 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 39 laboratory and clinical characteristics, including HLA-A, B, C and DR typing, were analysed using a cluster analysis technique. Three groups were identified. Group I (46 patients) was characterized by infrequently severe disease, good response to therapy and infrequent multisystem involvement.

Serum IgE level in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The serum total-IgE level has been studied in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in order to obtain data concerning the significance of IgE antibodies in the appearance of SLE symptoms. In most patients the serum IgE content was significantly higher in the active stage of the disease than during remission. The findings indicated a specific statistical distribution due to the multiple factors influencing IgE production and so an augmented IgE level cannot be regarded as a reliable feature of SLE activation.

The effect of sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus on artificial immune complexes.

The solubilization of artificial immune complexes mediated by complements has been well-known since 1975. It is known that the process is bound to the integrity of the alternative complement pathway. The phenomenon of solubilization can be used in the investigation of the function of the complement system.

Subset specificity of lupus antilymphocyte antibodies studied by two-colour microfluorimetry.

Subset specific lymphocytotoxic activity of lupus sera was studied by a combination of selective immunofluorescence labelling and complement-mediated lysis. Most frequently death of B cells was detected. Many of the sera caused lysis of T lymphocytes; selective cytotoxicity against suppressor T cells could be observed less frequently.

Inhibitory effect of monocyte reactive antibodies on monocyte chemotaxis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Presence of different types of autoantibodies is a basic feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Though monocytes, macrophages play an important role in cellular immunity, autoantibodies against monocytes have not been sufficiently studied. The authors used automatic fluorochromatic assay to detect monocyte reactive autoantibodies in the sera of SLE patients.

Lymphocyte markers in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis.

18 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis were investigated. An absolute lymphopenia and a decrease in the number of E-rosettes and early E-rosette forming cells were found. The number of T gamma cells was reduced as compared to the control values.

Effects of immune complexes from SLE patients on human monocyte locomotion and Fc receptor function.

The effect of immune complexes (IC) isolated from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) sera with polyethylene glycol and gel filtration on the chemotaxis and Fc receptor function of healthy monocytes was examined. Even at a low protein concentration (1 microgram/ml = 1 mg/l) ICs inhibit monocyte chemotaxis. ICs from patients with SLE nephritis are more inhibitory than ICs from patients without renal disease.

Cellular DNA content of T helper, T suppressor and B lymphocytes in SLE.

The ratio of in vivo activated T helper, T suppressor and B cells in the blood of patients with SLE has been studied through simultaneous subset specific immunofluorescence labelling and the analysis of cellular DNA content with the help of flow fluorimetry. In the active stage of the disease an increase was observed in the proportion of proliferating cells either among the T helper cells or the B cells. Occasionally, however, the rate of proliferation in both subsets grew at the same time.

Stimulating effect of tuftsin and its analogues on the defective monocyte chemotaxis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Monocytes and macrophages are engaged at various levels of cellular immune reactivity. In addition to their function in the defensive mechanism directed at infective agents, they also play a basic role in immune complex elimination and antigen handling. Previous experiments revealed that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the main representative of the autoimmune diseases, is associated with impaired monocyte chemotaxis.

Autologous rosette-forming capacity of T-lymphocytes in Hodgkin's disease.

Distribution of the T-lymphocyte subpopulation capable of binding own erythrocytes was examined in patients with Hodgkin's (H) disease. Parallel with the autologous rosette-forming cells (Tar-cells) the absolute lymphocyte count and the proportion of sheep-E-rosette forming T-cells were studied in various stages and histological types of H-disease. A considerable increase in the proportion of Tar-cells was found in untreated or recurrent H-disease, whereas in the periods of remission resulting from therapy no distinct differences between these figures and the mean values of the controls were demonstrable.

Signals of monocyte activation in patients with SLE.

The Fc receptor mediated reaction, the beta-glucuronidase and the lactic dehydrogenase activities of monocytes and the serum lysozyme level were tested together with the circulating immune complex content of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Simultaneously with the increasing FC receptor-mediated reaction and the elevated enzyme activities of patient monocytes, the secretion of lysozyme and the immune complex content of the sera were higher than those of the controls. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the Fc receptor-mediated reaction, the beta-glucuronidase activity, the lysozyme secretion and the immune complex content of the sera.

Studies on the lymphocyte subpopulation in systemic lupus erythematosus by monoclonal antibodies.

T cells and T-cell subsets were studied with monoclonal antibodies in 15 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during a 6-wk period. During active states of disease, all investigated T-cell subsets decreased, but the reduction of suppressor cells seemed to be more pronounced, therefore the helper/suppressor ratio increased. Less suppressor cells could be detected during clinical impairments and more during improvements.

Monocyte activation by immune complexes of patients with SLE.

1. IC precipitated by PEG from patients with SLE inhibit in vitro the FcR dependent reaction of normal monocytes with sSRBC, while the C3bR dependent reaction of the cells with sensitized yeast is reduced only by some of them. The monocytes were preincubated with the IC for 30 min at room temperature.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to native DNA in sera of patients with SLE.

A micro-ELISA technique has been developed to measure antibodies to native DNA and used in SLE patients. The distribution of antibody to native DNA in the main immunoglobulin classes was studied, using anti-human globulin conjugates labelled with peroxidase. the antigen (double-stranded DNA from calf thymus) used in the assay was adsorbed to the surface of polystyrene plates treated with methylated bovine serum albumin.

Loss of monocyte membrane receptors in patients with SLE.

Following an 80-min cold treatment of monocytes and their subsequent heating at 37 degrees C a part of the Fc and C3 receptors is shed from the cells into the serum-free medium. However, while the reduced expression of cell membrane Fc receptors is regenerated at 37 degrees C in 4-8 hr, that of the C3 receptors is not. Initially, the Fc receptor expression of monocytes for patients with SLE is greater than that of controls and after shedding it increases to the level of controls at 37 degrees C in 4-8 hr.

Immunological investigations in acute and chronic human pancreatitis.

Follow-up immunological studies in 27 patients with acute pancreatitis of known etiology showed a significant elevation in the level of circulating immune complexes (IC), a significant inhibition in migration of leukocytes (with direct LMT) of patients and a significant decrease in the percentage of T-active, T-total peripheral lymphocytes and in the absolute count of peripheral T cells. Elevated circulating IC levels could been detected 3-4 weeks after the onset of acute pancreatitis. These immunological changes have still been demonstrated in a number of patients 7-14 months after recovery.