Abstract: Objective To assess the rate of apoptosis of lymphocytes isolated from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) and investigate the correlation between lymphocyte apoptosis(LA) and autoantibody production. Methods Lymphocytes were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient,cultured in 12-well plates for 0,24,48 hours,and examined by acridine orange(AO) staining under fluorescence mi-croscope.Results The rates of LA of 22 SLE patients were sigificantly increased at t24(P<0.01) and t 48(P<0.01) com pared with those of 16 normal controls. The more severe the disease activity,the higher the rate of LA.In the patients with≥2 autoantibodies higher levels of LA at t24(P<0.05) and t48(P<0.01) were observed. Conclusion The results indicate that the in vitro acceleration of LA in SLE patients may be related to the increased production of autoantibodies,and the abnormalities of LA may play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Key words: Lupus erythematosus, Systemic, Lymphocytes, Apoptosis