Sex hormones and peripheral white blood cell subsets in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

ABSTRACT

Systemic Lupus Eyrythematosus [SLE] is an autoimmune disease characterized by antibodies to nuclear antigens, particularly anti-dsDNA. Imbalance between production and destruction of immune cells causes cytopenia. Sex hormones have im-munomodulatory effects; estrogen increases the production of autoantibodies in SLE prone NZB/NZW mice. To investigate the relationship between sex hormones, anti-dsDNA, and lymphocyte subsets in Iranian patients with SLE. 38 SLE patients [28 females and 10 males] meeting 4 of 11 ACR revised criteria for SLE classification, and 20 age and sex matched healthy individuals [10 females and 10 males] participated in this study. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed using flow cy-tometric analysis. Serum anti-dsDNA levels and sex hormones concentrations were determined using commercial ELISA and RIA kits, respectively. The absolute count of white blood cells, lymphocytes, T lymphocytes [CD3[+], T helper cells [CD3[+]CD4[+], B cells [CD19[+] and Nk cells [CD3[-] CD16[+]CD56[+] in SLE patients diminished significantly in comparison to control group [p<0.05]. IgG anti-dsDNA antibody levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls as expected [p<0.05]. Prolactin increased significantly, while DHEAS showed a significant decrease in SLE patients compared with the controls [p<0.05], however the level of estrogen did not have any significant difference in SLE patients in comparison to controls. Increased concentration of prolactin together with a simultaneous decrease in serum DHEAS in SLE patients are associated with anti-dsDNA elevation and a decrease in almost all lymphocyte subsets