This study was purposed to investigate the mechanism of thrombocytopenia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through detecting anti-megakaryocyte antibodies in SLE patients. The serum anti-megakaryocyte antibodies in 36 SLE cases with thrombocytopenia were detected by using indirect immunofluorescence, the detected results were compared with detected results of 30 SLE cases without thrombocytopenia and 30 healthy persons. The results showed that the positive incidences of anti-megakaryocyte antibody in serum of 36 SLE cases with thrombocytopenia, 30 SLE cases without thrombocytopenia and 30 healthy persons were 19.4% (7/36), 6.7% (2/30) and 3.3% (1/30) respectively. As compared with SLE patients without thrombocytopenia and healthy persons, SLE patients with thrombocytopenia had higher incidence of anti-megakaryocyte antibodies, moreover there was significant difference between SLE patients with thrombocytopenia and healthy persons (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between SLE patients with or without thrombocytopenia (p > 0.05). It is concluded that autoantibodies against megakaryocytes exist in SLE patients and may partially contribute to the incidence of thrombocytopenia in SLE patients. The detection of anti-megakaryocyte antibodies with a enough case number is needed to make a final conclusion on thrombocytopenia pathogenesis in SLE.
Adult ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Megakaryocytes ; immunology ; Middle Aged