Open AccessCytotoxicity of sera from patients with scleroderma
Author(s) -
Cohen Stanley,
Johnson Alice R.,
Hurd Eric
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1780260208
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , cytotoxicity , trypan blue , connective tissue , medicine , immunology , thymidine , pathology , scleroderma (fungus) , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , cell , in vitro , biochemistry , inoculation
Sera from patients with progressive systemic sclerosis were compared with sera from normal individuals and from patients with other connective tissue diseases for cytotoxic effects on cultured human cells. More than 40% of the sera from patients with active progressive systemic sclerosis were cytotoxic by several criteria for pulmonary arterial or umbilical venous endothelial cells, foreskin fibroblasts, and neuroblastoma cells. Cytotoxic sera caused morphologic changes, uptake of trypan blue dye, and a decrease in the incorporation of 3 H‐thymidine into DNA. In contrast, only 4 sera from normal individuals or patients with other rheumatic diseases affected cell morphology, staining, or uptake of 3 H‐thymidine. Partial characterization of the cytotoxic factor indicated that it is sensitive to proteolysis by trypsin. The molecular weight of the factor was estimated to be similar to that of albumin.