CORRELATIONS OF MONOCYTE PHAGOCYTIC RECEPTOR EXPRESSIONS WITH SERUM IMMUNE-COMPLEX LEVEL IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

The expression of Fc gamma RI, Fc gamma RII, and Fc gamma RIII (the Ig G receptors CD64, CD32, CD16) as well as CR3 (the C3bi receptor, CD11b ) on monocytes in the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythemato sus (SLE) was investigated. The relationship between the receptor expr ession and the serum immune complex (IC) concentration was analysed. T he decrease in mean fluorescence intensity (FI) of the Fc gamma RII of patients' monocytes stained by specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAb I V3) was very close to statistical significance (P = 0.052). The expres sion (FI) of CR3 (using MoAb OKM1) on monocytes of patients was also d ecreased, but not significantly. The detected decrease of Fc gamma RII and CR3 was inversely correlated with the high circulating immune com plex level in patients' sera. At the same time, Fc gamma RI expression on SLE monocytes (using MoAb 32) was significantly elevated and this change was in parallel with the serum IC concentration.