Objective: To investigate the pathogenesis and clinical evaluation for expression of Bcl-2 in lymphocytes and renal tissues of 31 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods: Bcl-2 protein levels in T, B cells and renal tissues were examined by two-colour cytofluorography, and immunohistochemical staining (LSAB method) respectively.
Results: Compared with inactive SLE patients and normal controls, a proposition of T cells (including CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+) and CD(8)(+) subgroups) expressing Bcl-2 protein increased significantly in active SLE patients. However, Bcl-2 protein levels are not statistically different in CD(19)(+) B cells among all groups. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) levels of Bcl-2 protein on CD(3)(+) T cells was positively related to SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) among the SLE patients, which wasn't related to ESR, complement (C(3), C(4)) and autoantibody (ANA, anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm) positivity. The population of Bcl-2 positive intraglomerular cells was correlated significantly with the grade of mesangial cell increase and the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive glomerular cells, and 24-hour urinary protein.
Conclusion: Overexpression of apoptosis-related Bcl-2 protein might play an important rule in the prolonged proliferation of mesangial cells and glomerular hypercellularity and in the active period of SLE patients, Bcl-2 expression levels of peripheral blood T lymphocytes might serve as an active index for SLE.