Correlations of immunological and immunogenetic parameters in different types of systemic lupus erythematosus course

In 32 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 19 of whom had chronic course of the disease and 13 had subacute course, we have studied the parameters of cell immunity (percent level of main lym­phoid subsets), humoral immunity (serum level of IgG, IgA and IgM, circulating immune complexes), the capacity of peripheral immunocompetent cells to produce a number of cytokines (IL-1 p, IL-6, IL-10, TNFa). Also in these patients HLA II class molecular typing (DRB1, DQB1 and DQA1 loci) was performed using PCR-SSP method. The comparative analysis of data obtained in both groups revealed that the patients with chronic SLE course show an increased percent level of activated cells (DR+, CD25+) and serum IgA, as compared to those with subacute course. And the latter ones have an increased level of T-cytotoxic cells (CD8+). Also, we have established a marked difference in the frequency of such important immunogenetic markers of autoimmune diseases as HLA-DRB1 *03 and allelic combination HLA-DRB1 *03, DQB1* 0201, DQA1* 0501, which have been observed statistically more frequently in patients with subacute course of SLE, as compared to those with chronic course.