OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of human leucocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of various TCM syndrome types in order to seek an objective index for syndrome differentiation of SLE.

METHODSSLE patients were sorted into various syndrome types by TCM syndrome differentiation, i. e. Pi-Shen yang-deficiency type (A), yin-deficiency with internal heat type (B), qi-yin deficiency type (C) and Gan-Shen yin-deficiency type (D). Their peripheral blood sample was collected for detecting HLA-DR positive lymphocytes and monocytes in PBMC using flow cytometry.

RESULTSComparisons among patients of various syndrome type showed that the proportion of HLA-DR positive monocytes and lymphocytes in PBMC in patients of type A was the lowest (P < 0.01); proportion of HLA-DR positive lymphocytes in patients of type B was significantly higher than in those of type C and D (P < 0.01), and that in type D was higher than in type C (P < 0.05); total proportion of HLA-DR positive cells in patients of type A was the lowest, that in type B was higher than that in type C and D (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), while no significant difference was found between the latter two types (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHLA-DR could be taken as an objective index for reference in syndrome differentiation of SLE.