Díaz-Jouanen E

Features of Sjögren's Syndrome in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Abstract The sicca components of Sjogrens syndrome were investigated in 14 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis with a battery of tests that included Schirmers test; rose bengal staining; paro...

Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting as panniculitis (lupus profundus).

Six patients are described in whom panniculitis was a major manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. These patients were seen in a combined-clinics population of 270 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus for an incidence of approximately 2%. Panniculitis was the first symptom of systemic lupus erythematosus in three of these patients indicating that systemic lupus erythematosus should be considered as an underlying cause in patients with panniculitis or Weber-Christians disease. Analysis of these six cases and those previously reported suggests that the addition of hydroxychloroquine to the treatment regimen may be beneficial in lupus panniculitis.

Effect of pregnancy on functions of circulating T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Correction of T-cell suppression and autologous mixed-lymphocyte responses

Pregnant systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with inactive disease were found to have normal spontaneously generated suppressor-cell function and slightly higher concanavalin A-induced suppressor function as compared to matched normal pregnant and nonpregnant females. In six SLE patients studied sequentially throughout pregnancy and postpartum, suppressor functions were found to fall sharply within the first week after delivery. One of these patients had been studied before she became pregnant and found to have a decreased suppressor function. Nonpregnant SLE patients had both suppressor functions diminished despite their disease being similarly inactive. This group was also the only one to have decreased responses in autologous mixed-lymphocyte cultures. Both pregnant and nonpregnant SLE patients had decreased absolute numbers of total lymphocytes, T cells, and their subpopulations, but the proportions of these cells were similar in all four groups. Despite this apparent normalcy of immune regulation, pregnant SLE patients had higher levels of Clq-binding immune complexes than did nonpregnant ones. Functional T-cell abnormalities found in SLE patients tend to be corrected by pregnancy. This may explain in part the disease remissions that occur in them during the second half of pregnancy.