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Interaction of circulating immune complexes with granulocyte function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Immunkomplexe und Granulozytenfunktion bei Patienten mit primär chronischer Polyarthritis

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Zusammenfassung

Bei 8 von 10 Patienten mit rheumatoider Arthritis (RA) wurden mittels des Rajicell-Radioimmunoassays oder der Immunfluorescens lösliche Immunkomplexe in unterschiedlich hohen Mengen im Serum nachgewiesen. Bei den gleichen Patienten erfolgte eine Überprüfung der Granulocytenfunktion mit verschiedenen quantitativen in vitro-Methoden. Es zeigt sich, daß die Granulocyten aller RA-Patienten mit zirkulierenden Immunkomplexen im Serum eine verminderte chemotaktische Reaktionsfähigkeit und eine reduzierte Abtötungskapazität gegenüber lebenden Staphylokokken aufwiesen. Das Phagocytoseverhalten und der dabei gesteigerte oxydative Zellstoffwechsel wurden nicht beeinflußt. Weiterhin war es möglich, mit den Immunkomplex-haltigen Seren z.T. gleiche Funktionsstörungen auf die Granulocyten gesunder Versuchspersonen zu übertragen, wobei zusätzlich noch in Einzelfällen eine vermehrte Exocytose lysosomaler Enzyme beobachtet wurde. Die zellulären Dysfunktionen waren jeweils an die Anwesenheit von phagocytierten Immunkomplexen gebunden, die mit Hilfe der Immunfluorescens nachgewiesen wurden. Durch diese in vitro-Befunde werden möglicherweise eine Reihe von serumabhängigen Granulocytenfunktionsstörungen und auch die erhöhte bakterielle Infektanfälligkeit der Patienten mit rheumatoider Arthritis erklärt.

Summary

The sera and peripheral blood granulocytes of 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and of 10 healthy controls were investigated for the presence of soluble immune complexes and for cellular dysfunction. Using the Rajicell-radioimmunoassay, immune complexes were detected in 7 out of 10 rheumatoid sera. In one patient the presence of immune complexes was demonstrated by immunofluorescence. In all rheumatoid patients with circulating immune complexes decreased chemotactic reactivity and diminished bactericidal capacity of the neutrophils were observed. Incubation of rheumatoid granulocytes with pooled AB-serum or pretreatment of neutrophils of healthy controls with immune complexes containing rheumatoid sera resulted in a reduced number of comparable cellular dysfunctions including increased release of lysosomal enzymes, strongly correlated with the presence of intracellular phagocytosed immune complexes. Phagocytosis and increase of oxidative cell metabolism during phagocytosis were not influenced by circulating immune complexes. Based on our in vitro findings we suggest that the described immune complex-dependent granulocyte dysfunctions are possibly responsible for the high risk of local or systemic bacterial diseases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Pathologie, Universität Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg M 23, D-7900, Ulm/Donau, Federal Republic of Germany

    B. Bültmann, R. Geitner, H. Seibold & O. Haferkamp

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulm, D-7900, Ulm

    G. Kratsch

Authors
  1. B. Bültmann
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  2. R. Geitner
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  3. H. Seibold
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  4. G. Kratsch
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  5. O. Haferkamp
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Bültmann, B., Geitner, R., Seibold, H. et al. Interaction of circulating immune complexes with granulocyte function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Klin Wochenschr 58, 727–732 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01478460

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01478460

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