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Serum Factors Releasing Serotonin from Normal Platelets: Relation to the Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Abstract
In 13 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, globulin fractions of sera from serial bleedings were assayed for the induction of serotonin release from normal platelets. Releasing activity appeared at some time in the sera of seven patients, five of whom had episodes of thrombocytopenia. Conversely, only one patient manifested thrombocytopenia without the occurrence of serotonin releasing activity at any time. In three patients with episodes of thrombocytopenia, increases in serotonin releasing activity temporally coincided with drops in platelet count. These data show that levels of circulating platelet serotonin releasing factor(s) vary in the course of systemic lupus erythematosus and these variations may be inversely related to the platelet count in particular patients.
Article and Author Information
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▸From the Section of Arthritis and Metabolic Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine; Chicago, Illinois.
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Grant support: by a grant from the Louis Block Board of the University of Chicago.
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▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to Mark H. Ginsberg, M.D., Department of Immunopathology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, 10666 North Torrey Pines Rd.; La Jolla, CA 92037.
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- Received February 14, 1977.
- Accepted July 18, 1977.
