Monocyte in vitro function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). II. Glass adherence and spreading in presence of SLE-sera.

Studies on glass adherence and spreading of normal blood monocytes in presence of sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were performed. Spreading was estimated by measuring the cell diameters with a microscale in a phase contrast microscope. Glass adherence (number of glass adherent cells per cultivation chamber) and spreading were found to be significantly reduced in presence of SLE-sera. Furthermore, in presence of these SLE-sera the monocytes formed clusters, which resolved after addition of normal sera. It is suggested that these observations may reflect a disturbance of monocyte membrane function possibly induced by immune complexes or through depletion of complement components in sera from patients with active SLE.