Comparison of natural killing with antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Natural killer function (NK) and antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) were compared in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The patients' cells had decreased NK and ADCC activities compared to controls. The greatest decreases were seen in the patients with most active disease. There was no apparent relationship of cytotoxic activity to corticosteroid therapy. A strong correlation was observed between NK and ADCC activities of individual controls and patients, indicating similar effects on the 2 systems by the immune abnormalities of SLE.