A lupus erythematosus cell (LE cell), also known as Hargraves cell, is a

neutrophil Neutrophils (also known as neutrocytes or heterophils) are the most abundant type of granulocytes and make up 40% to 70% of all white blood cells in humans. They form an essential part of the innate immune system, with their functions varying ...

or macrophage that has phagocytized (engulfed) the denatured nuclear material of another cell. The denatured material is an absorbed hematoxylin body (also called an LE body). They are a characteristic of

lupus erythematosus Lupus erythematosus is a collection of autoimmune diseases in which the human immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks healthy tissues. Symptoms of these diseases can affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blo ...

, but also found in similar connective tissue disorders or some autoimmune diseases like in severe

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are invol ...

. LE cells can be observed in drug-induced lupus, for example, following treatment with

methyldopa Methyldopa, sold under the brand name Aldomet among others, is a medication used for high blood pressure. It is one of the preferred treatments for high blood pressure in pregnancy. For other types of high blood pressure including very high blo ...

. The LE cell was discovered in bone marrow in 1948 by Malcolm McCallum Hargraves (1903–1982), a Physician and Practicing Histologist at the Mayo Clinic''.'' Hargraves may have gained priority by suppressing a publication draft of John R. Haserick, who credits Dr. Dorothy Sundberg, chief hematologist at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, with first identifying LE cells. Classically, the LE cell is analyzed microscopically, but it is also possible to investigate this phenomenon by flow cytometry. LE cells shouldn't be confused with Tart cells which have engulfed nuclear material, but with a visible chromatin rather than homogeneous appearance.

References

{{reflist Macrophages