Pretorius, EtheresiaDu Plooy, Jeanette NoelSoma, PrashillaGasparyan, Armen Yuri2014-08-132014-08-132014-07Pretorius, E, Du Plooy, J, Soma, P & Gasparyan, AY 2014, 'An ultrastructural analysis of platelets, erythrocytes, white blood cells, and fibrin network in systemic lupus erythematosus', Rheumatology International, vol. 34, no. 7, pp. 1005-1009.1687-9260 (print)1687-9279 (online)10.1007/s00296-013-2817-xhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/41236The study suggests that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) present with distinct inflammatory ultrastructural changes such as platelets blebbing, generation of platelet-derived microparticles, spontaneous formation of massive fibrin network and fusion of the erythrocytes membranes. Lupoid platelets actively interact with other inflammatory cells, particularly with white blood cells (WBCs), and the massive fibrin network facilitates such an interaction. It is possible that the concerted actions of platelets, erythrocytes and WBC, caught in the inflammatory fibrin network, predispose to pro-thrombotic states in patients with SLE.en© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014. The original publication is available at : http://link.springer.com/journal/296.Systemic lupus erythematosusPlatelet functionErythrocytesWhite blood cellsFibrinElectron microscopyPostprint Article