Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have been found to have various disturbances of the cell-mediated immune response. Cellular aberrations include enhanced spontaneous B lymphocyte activity with abnormal triggering in vitro, deficient immunoregulatory T lymphocyte circuits, deficient cytotoxic responses, including natural killer cell activity, alloantigen and viral cytotoxicity, and abnormal production of and response to different lymphokines as well as increased expression of proto-oncogenes in highly activated peripheral blood lymphocytes. CD4+ and CD4/CD8+ T lymphocyte receptor cells and cell lines from patients with active lupus nephritis provide help to autologous B lymphocytes to produce nephritogenic antibodies. The goal of these studies is to further elucidate the mechanisms of these alterations of the immune system which are apparently involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. The modulation of the above disturbances by immunosuppressive agents, i.e. corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, is actively studied, aiming at the restoration of normal immune status in these patients.
