ISSN:
1365-3083
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
The loss of suppressor T-cell function results in an abundant production of autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As a cause of this suppressor T-cell defect, anti-T-cell antibody seems to be of prime importance. On the other hand. anti-T-cell antibodies can be detected in various other autoimmune diseases, but their functional characteristics have not been determined. In the present study, the functional characteristics of anti-T-cell antibody from a selected subgroup of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were compared with those from patients with SLE. Anti-T-cell antibody from the patients with SLE reacted with a T8 subset, resulting in a suppressor defect, whereas anti-T-cell antibody from the UC patients reacted primarily with a T4 subset. Functionally, SLE T cells failed to proliferate in response to concanavalin A. whereas UC− T cells from UC patients failed to proliferate in response to phytohaemagglutinin. In the Ig synthesis system, both SLE− and UC− T cells increased Ig production of B cells. Since UC+ T cells did not contribute to the generation of Con-A-inducible suppressor activity, we believe that serum from the selected subgroup of patients with UC reacted with the inducer T-cell subset.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3083.1983.tb00887.x
