Programmed death‐1 (PD‐1) was shown to deliver an inhibitory signal after binding to its ligands, PD‐L1 (B7‐H1) or PD‐L2 (B7‐DC). Recently, up‐regulated expression of PD‐1 molecule and/or its ligands was demonstrated in human diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory colitis. The study aimed to investigate the expression and function of PD‐1 and PD‐1 ligands on circulating T cells, B cells and monocytes from patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The results showed that patients with SLE had significantly increased percentages of PD‐1‐expressing CD3+T cells and CD19+B cells, PD‐L1‐expressing CD19+B cells and PD‐L2‐expressing CD14+B monocytes. In selected SLE patients and normal subjects, functional study of PD‐1/ PD‐1 ligands pathway on the production of cytokines by stimulated PBMC was examined. Blockages of PD‐1 or PD‐1 ligands substantially increased the production of IL‐2, IFN‐γ and IL‐10, the amplitude of increase roughly ranged from one to three times. There were no significant differences of the enhancing effects on cytokine production by blockage of PD‐1/PDL pathway between SLE patients and normal subjects. The study indicates that there are no intrinsically defective expression and function of PD‐1 and PD‐1 ligands on PBMC in patients with SLE.