RESUMO
Monocytes and macrophages are engaged at various levels of cellular immune reactivity. In addition to their function in the defensive mechanism directed at infective agents, they also play a basic role in immune complex elimination and antigen handling. Previous experiments revealed that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the main representative of the autoimmune diseases, is associated with impaired monocyte chemotaxis. The endogenous basic tetrapeptide tuftsin and 6 of its analogues were examined in vitro for their stimulating capacity on the chemotactic responsiveness of monocytes derived from patients with SLE. The monocyte migration assay was carried out by a modified Boyden technique and quantified by the leading front distance method and by counting the total distance covered by the monocyte locomotion. Tuftsin and 3 of its analogues significantly increased the defective chemotaxis in SLE. The tetrapeptides effective on chemotaxis also stimulated random migration and phagocytosis of the monocytes, albeit to a lesser extent. Structure-activity relationships, as well as the influence of the clinical stage of the disease were also examined. Experimental evidence leads to a favourable prediction for the immunotherapeutic value of these oligopeptides for the control of infections and the progression of the disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.