非活動期全身性エリテマトーデス患者における末梢血Tリンパ球のテロメラーゼ活性の異常

摘要

To evaluate T-lymphocyte abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the inactive stage, lymphocyte telomerase activity was measured. The subjects were patients who had had SLE for 24 months or more and an SLE disease activity index of 4 or less and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. CD4+ and CD8+ Tcells were isolated from the peripheral blood, and telomerase activity was measured with the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase assay. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood were significantly greater in patients with inactive SLE than in healthy controls. The rate of increase in telomerase activity was greater in CD8+ T cells than in CD4+ T cells. These results suggest that activated CD4+ T cells are present in patients with SLE, even during the inactive stage, and that CD8+ T cells are more markedly activated owing to the presence of CD4+ T cells.%テロメアは真核生物の染色体末端に存在するDNA蛋白質複合体であり，染色体の安定化には必須の構造であると考えられている1）．ヒトのテロメアDNAはTTAGGGの繰り返し構造で染色体末端に位置している．この末端部分のテロメアDNAは通常のDNA合成酵素では複製されない．このため，細胞分裂が起きるたびにテロメアDNAは短縮してゆく．