[The phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear neutrophils in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Fagocitose por neutrófilos no Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of immune complexes and the phagocytes by polymorphonuclear neutrophils in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, with and without disease activity. METHODS: The peripheral blood of 55 subjects was analyzed. Ten of those subjects had disease activity, 15 had not disease activity, and 30 were healthy. We used radial immune diffusion to detect immune complexes. The phagocytic function was estimated by the ingestion of zymosan by polymorphonuclear neutrophils. RESULTS: In this study we found the presence of immune complexes formatted of IgM, IgG, IgA, and complement component C3 and C4 in LES patients. The arithmetic average of zymosan particles ingested by the neutrophils incubated with homologous human serum and autologous human serum was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the LES activity patients when we compare with the group without activity, and the control group. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there are immune complexes in the LES patients with and without disease activity, and there is a reduction in the digestive step of the phagocytes by polymorphonuclear neutrophils in patients with disease activity. The conclusions of the present study are according with the pathogenesis of the disease and with the high mortality in these patients.

Fagocitose por neutrófilos no Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico / The phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear neutrophils in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a presença de imunocomplexos e a atividade fagocitária de polimorfonucleares neutrofílicos em pacientes com Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico (LES) com e sem sinais e sintomas de atividade da doença. MÉTODOS: Analisou-se o sangue periférico de 55 indivíduos, sendo 10 pacientes com forma ativa da doença, 15 fora de atividade e 30 indivíduos sadios. Foi utilizada imunodifusäo radial para identificaçäo de imunocomplexos e estudada a etapa de ingestäo da fagocitose por neutrófilos com partículas de zimosan. RESULTADOS: Observou-se a presença de crioprecipitado constituído por IgM, IgG, IgA, componentes C3 e C4 do complemento nos pacientes com LES. As médias aritméticas da ingestäo por neutrófilos de partículas de zimosan incubado com soro homólogo e zimosan incubado com soro autólogo mostraram uma diminuiçäo significativa (p<0.05) para os pacientes com LES em atividade quando comparadas as de pacientes com LES fora atividade e de indivíduos sadios. CONCLUSÄO: Concluímos haver presença de imunocomplexos nos pacientes com LES em atividade e fora de atividade e uma diminuiçäo da fagocitose por neutrófilos no grupo de pacientes com LES em atividade. As conclusöes do presente estudo säo coerentes com a patogênese da doença e com a alta mortalidade por infecções nesses pacientes