Changes in White Blood Cell Levels in Lupus may Show Condition's Development

This study, which was published in the journal, Clinical Rheumatology, was conducted by Yongzhe Li of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Peking Union Medical College in collaboration with the Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology. The focus of the study were alterations in white blood cell levels in SLE patients and how they contribute to the development of lupus. The impetus behind the study was a lack of conclusive results that showed whether or not the levels of white blood cells are altered in lupus patients and most importantly, to what degree. Basically, the researchers hypothesize that deviations in the levels of monocytes could bring about, or at least contribute to, the development of SLE.