RESUMO
The aim of this study was to find out the percentage of neutrophils apoptotic cells in the peripheral blood in patients with SLE and to determine its relation to disease activity. Twenty patients with SLE [Group I], and 10 disease control patients with rheumatoid arthritis [Group II] were studied. 10 normal control subjects with matched age and sex were also included. Serum antibodies to ds-DNA were measured by a commerical assay. The percentage of apoptotic peripheral blood neutrophils was determined by morphology and flow cytometric analysis of annexin v/propidium iodide labelled cells. There was a significant increase of apoptotic neutrophils assessed by morphology and annexin v in SLE patients compared with rheumatoid arthritis patients and normal controls. There was a positive correlation between serum antibodies to ds-DNA and the precentage of apoptotic neutrophils assessed by annexin V. Also, there were positive correlation between annexin v positive neutrophils and SLE activity measures SLAM. these results suggest that, increased percentage of apoptotic neutrophils in the peripheral blood could be a potential source of lupus specific autoantigens [anti-ds-DNA], and failure of its clearance could trigger or exacerbate SLE activity