Failure of Splenectomy in Felty's Syndrome

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Abstract
AUTOANTIBODIES may damage human cells through a variety of mechanisms, including complement activation and IgG-dependent phagocytosis.1 Antibodies can also cause lysis of cells by lymphocytes. This lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity depends on IgG antibody and a non-T, non-B, non-"natural-killer" lymphocyte, 2 , 3 and it has been implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic liver disease, 4 Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 5 and the rejection of renal allografts6 , 7 and tumors.8 , 9 In a previous study, we found that antibodies from some patients with immune neutropenia cause lysis of granulocytes by lymphocytes (antibody-dependent, lymphocyte-mediated granulocytotoxicity or ADLG).10 We studied 16 patients with Felty's syndrome treated with splenectomy, six of whom had no . . .