In vitro study of cytotoxic factors against endothelium in childhood dermatomyositis
S. T. Iannaccone, D. Bowen, A. Yarom and G. Ciraolo
In a previous report we showed that leukocytes from a group of patients
with childhood dermatomyositis (CDM) were not cytotoxic toward cultured
normal human skeletal muscle cells. Blood products from 11 patients with
CDM and 12 age- and sex-matched controls were tested for cytotoxicity
toward human endothelium using a chromium 51 assay. Mixed lymphocytes,
monocytes, and serum alone or in combination did not produce endothelial
cell death. The combination of serum and leukocytes, however, did produce
some cytotoxic effects in three of 11 patients with CDM. We conclude that
those factors tested in vitro are not responsible for the endothelial cell
death but together may produce cytotoxic changes in some patients.