Cellular immunity in systemic lupus erythematosus

Cellular immunity of 16 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as measured by the ability of their lymphocytes to proliferate in vitro following stimulation with mitogens and bacterial antigens, and by the ability of their polymorphonuclear neutrophils to reduce nitrobluetetrazolium dye, both spontaneously and upon stimulation, was found to be unimpaired by comparison with cells of 12 normal individuals. The relative frequency of responders to stimulation with human collagen and with several nuclear antigens, used over a wide range of concentrations and evaluated as a group, was significantly higher among patients with SLE. Antinuclear antibodies specific for DNA, RNA, or both, were found in all patients with SLE, but did not reflect the pattern of sensitization of lymphocytes to these antigens as measured by lymphocyte transformation.