Effect of Prednisolone on Heme Synthesis of Bone Marrow Erythroblasts in Patients with SLE

Abstract

Although anemia is commonly seen in SLE patients, the patogenesis of anemia is not clarified. In order to research the pathogenesis of anemia seen in SLE, and the effect of prednisolone on heme synthesis of patient's bone marrow erythroblasts, and patient's peripheral mononuclear cells were studied means of Krantz's method. Bone marrow erythroblasts (10⁶) were cultured with 1.0U of erythropoietin with Fe⁵⁹ in 1.0ml of pH 7.4NCTC 109, containing 20% human unactivated AB plasma, and added prednisolone or patient's mononuclear cells prior treated with prednisolone at 37°
C, containing 5% CO₂ in air for 72hours. Heme synthesis of the erythroblasts was measured by counting the radioactivity of Fe⁵⁹ incorporated into the heme with a γ-scintillation.
Results were as follows,
1. Prednisolone had no effect on heme synthesis of erythroblasts from normal human bone marrow.
2. Heme synthesis of patient's bone marrow erythroblasts was obviously improved adding prednisolone.
3. Patient's peripheral mononuclear cells treated with prednisolone did not suppress the heme synthesis of normal erythroblasts from human bone marrow. Theses results suggest that the patient's mononuclear cells affectionable with prednisolone may be participating in the pathogenesis of anemia seen in SLE patients.