Ytterberg S R, Schnitzer T J
Arthritis Rheum. 1982 Apr;25(4):401-6. doi: 10.1002/art.1780250407.
Levels of interferon (IFN) were measured in 81 serum samples from 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by a plaque-reduction method and correlated retrospectively with clinical records of disease activity, anti-DNA binding, and serum complement measurements. IFN titers were found to correlate with both clinical disease activity and anti-DNA binding, but no relation was found to serum complement. Most (76.6%, 31 of 41) serum samples obtained during periods of active disease contained measureable amounts of IFN, but only 9.1% (2 of 22) of results of tests on samples obtained during periods of disease quiescence were positive (P less than 0.005). Of samples with clearly elevated anti-DNA binding (greater than 40%), 69.7% (23 of 33) had positive results for IFN, but 57.1% (8 of 14) had negative results when the anti-DNA binding was normal (less than 20%) (P less than 0.005). Measurement of serum IFN titers in patients with SLE, therefore, provides another serologic marker of disease activity. Contrary to the findings of previous studies, the IFN found in the present study was characterized as IFN-alpha, or Type I IFN, on the basis of acid stability and neutralization by antibody to IFN-alpha. Of interest are the questions raised about the origin of IFN in the sera of patients with SLE and what role IFN might have in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune disease in view of the many documented immunomodulating effects of IFN.
采用蚀斑减少法检测了23例系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者的81份血清样本中的干扰素（IFN）水平，并回顾性地将其与疾病活动的临床记录、抗DNA结合情况及血清补体测量结果进行关联分析。发现IFN滴度与临床疾病活动及抗DNA结合均相关，但与血清补体无关联。大多数（76.6%，41份中的31份）在疾病活动期采集的血清样本中含有可测量的IFN，但在疾病静止期采集的样本检测结果中只有9.1%（22份中的2份）呈阳性（P小于0.005）。抗DNA结合明显升高（大于40%）的样本中，69.7%（33份中的23份）IFN检测结果为阳性，但抗DNA结合正常（小于20%）时，57.1%（14份中的8份）检测结果为阴性（P小于0.005）。因此，检测SLE患者血清IFN滴度可提供另一种疾病活动的血清学标志物。与以往研究结果相反，根据酸稳定性及抗α干扰素抗体的中和作用，本研究中发现的IFN被鉴定为α干扰素或I型干扰素。鉴于IFN有许多已记录的免疫调节作用，SLE患者血清中IFN的来源以及IFN在自身免疫性疾病发病机制中可能起什么作用等问题值得关注。
