Red blood cell alterations contribute to lupus: Study

The autoimmune disease lupus may be triggered by a defective process in the development of red blood cells (RBCs), according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The discovery could lead to new methods for classifying and treating patients with this disease. The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Cell, found that in a number of lupus patients, maturing red blood cells fail to get rid of their mitochondria- tiny molecular reactors that help convert oxygen into chemical energy in most cell types but are normally excluded from red blood cells. This abnormal retention of mitochondria can trigger the cascade of inappropriate and harmful immune activity that is characteristic of the disease.