CS. Increased apoptotic neutrophils and macrophages and impaired macrophage phagocytic clearance of apoptotic neutrophils in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 2003; 48

Objective. To evaluate whether patients with sys-temic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a higher rate of apoptosis in and secondary necrosis of polymorphonu-clear neutrophils (PMNs) and macrophages compared with controls; to compare the rate of macrophage phagocytic clearance of apoptotic PMNs in patients with SLE and healthy controls; to evaluate whether in vitro PMN and macrophage apoptosis and secondary necro-sis, and the ability of macrophages to phagocytose apoptotic bodies, are correlated with lupus disease activity; and to determine whether macrophage clear-ance of apoptotic bodies in patients with SLE and normal controls is related to certain serum factors. Methods. Thirty-six patients with SLE and 18 healthy, nonsmoking volunteers were studied. PMN