FACS monitoring of lymphocyte-subsets in patients with discoid and subacute-cutaneous lupus erythematosus receiving low-dose methotrexate.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to describe and characterize the influence of low-dose methotrexate (MTX) treatment on absolute counts of peripheral blood cells and lymphocyte subsets in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE).

METHODS

In 6 patients with discoid (DLE) and 9 patients with subacute-cutaneous LE (SCLE) who received low-dose MTX (10-30 mg/week) leukocytes and lymphocyte subsets were monitored flowcytometrically.

RESULTS

Absolute numbers of leukocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, and lymphocyte subsets displayed cell-type specific patterns under low-dose MTX. Moreover, we found different reaction patterns in patients with DLE and SCLE. In patients with DLE leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes (p < 0.02), CD3+ cells (p < 0.04), CD3+ CD4+ cells (p < 0.009), and CD3+ CD8+ cells increase, and only B-cells decrease. Whereas in patients with SCLE no significant changes were found.

CONCLUSION

Low-dose MTX treatment seems to independently influence peripheral blood cell compartments and thereby the underlying LE manifestation could be of some relevance.