CORRELATION BETWEEN CD29 DENSITY ON CD8 PLUS LYMPHOCYTES AND SERUM IGG IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

The purpose of this paper is to establish whether there is increased l ymphocyte adhesion molecule density in systemic lupus erythematosus (S LE), which could alter the migration pathways and activation threshold s of lymphocytes and thus contribute to the pathogenesis of the diseas e. We analysed the CD11a, CD29 and CD2 bound antibody molecule (bam) d ensity on the CD4 + and CD8 + CAMhigh (primed) lymphocytes of 28 SLE p atients (8 active and 20 inactive by BILAG), using reproducible flow c ytometric measurements, standardized with fluorescent beads and antibo dies of known fluorescein:protein ratios. In a second patient cohort ( 17 patients), we investigated whether CD29 density on CD8 + cells corr elated with measures of humoral (serum IgG) or cellular (urine neopter in) activation. In the first cohort, 36% of patients had elevated CD29 (beta 1 integrin) density on CD8 + cells. In the second cohort, CD29 density on CD8 + cells was found to be closely associated with total p lasma IgG (r = 0.71, P = 0.001), but not with urine neopterin, disease activity (BILAG) or drug treatment. We conclude that CD29 on CD8 + ce lls is associated with B cell activation in SLE.