Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1979 Jul;37(1):58–67.

Immunochemical characteristics of antibodies to DNA in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus.

S P Ballou, I Kushner
PMCID: PMC1537673  PMID: 385188

Abstract

To investigate the suggestion that qualitative immunochemical characteristics of antibodies to DNA (anti-DNA) may be of importance in the pathogenesis of nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we used the Crithidia luciliae (CL) immunofluorescence test to determine the titre, immunoglobulin (Ig) class and complement-fixing activity of anti-DNA in thirty-five patients with active SLE. Eighteen of these patients had active lupus nephritis (Group I) and the remaining seventeen had no clinical evidence of renal involvement (Group II). Anti-DNA was detected in twenty-eight patients, and was present more frequently and in higher titre (P less than 0.01) in Group I than in Group II. Anti-DNA of all three Ig classes studied (IgG, IgM and IgA) was present in twenty-three out of twenty-eight cases. The ratio of IgG to IgM anti-DNA did not differ in the two groups of patients. Complement-fixing antibodies were detected in thirteen patients in Group I and five patients in Group II. The titre of complement-fixing activity was strongly correlated with titre of anti-DNA. DNA-binding capacity was also determined in these by a millipore filter (MF) assay. A highly significant correlation between DNA binding by MF and CL was found in Group I patients, while no correlation was found in Group II patients. These findings suggest that (1) anti-DNA with specificity for determinants found in CL, presumably native DNA, are more highly correlated with the presence of active renal lupus than are antibodies directed toward other DNA determinants, and (2) the major characteristic of anti-DNA found to be associated with nephritis was quantity of antibody. Most patients had anti-DNA of all Ig classes regardless of the presence of renal disease. Complement-fixing activity of anti-DNA could not be related to the occurrence of renal disease independently of anti-DNA titre.

Full text

PDF
58

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aarden L. A., de Groot E. R., Feltkamp T. E. Immunology of DNA. III. Crithidia luciliae, a simple substrate for the determination of anti-dsDNA with the immunofluorescence technique. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Jun 30;254:505–515. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb29197.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Andres G. A., Accinni L., Beiser S. M., Christian C. L., Cinotti G. A., Erlanger B. F., Hsu K. C., Seegal B. C. Localization of fluorescein-labeled antinucleoside antibodies in glomeruli of patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus nephritis. J Clin Invest. 1970 Nov;49(11):2106–2118. doi: 10.1172/JCI106428. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ballou S. P., Kushner I. Anti-native DNA detection by the Crithidia luciliae method: an improved guide to the diagnosis and clinical management of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1979 Apr;22(4):321–327. doi: 10.1002/art.1780220402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berenbaum M. C. Synergy, additivism and antagonism in immunosuppression. A critical review. Clin Exp Immunol. 1977 Apr;28(1):1–18. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CASALS S. P., FRIOU G. J., MYERS L. L. SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTIBODY TO DNA IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS. Arthritis Rheum. 1964 Aug;7:379–390. doi: 10.1002/art.1780070404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chubick A., Sontheimer R. D., Gilliam J. N., Ziff M. An appraisal of tests for native DNA antibodies in connective tissue diseases. Clinical usefulness of Crithidia luciliae assay. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Aug;89(2):186–192. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-2-186. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Crowe W., Kushner I. An immunofluorescent method using Crithidia luciliae to detect antibodies to double-stranded DNA. Arthritis Rheum. 1977 Apr;20(3):811–814. doi: 10.1002/art.1780200308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davis J. S., Godfrey S. M., Winfield J. B. Direct evidence for circulating DNA/anti-DNA complexes in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1978 Jan-Feb;21(1):17–22. doi: 10.1002/art.1780210104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Davis P., Burrington M., Russell A. S., Morgan A. R. Analysis of DNA structure by hydroxyapatite columns and ethidium bromide fluorescence techniques. A comparative study and effect on DNA binding. Arthritis Rheum. 1978 May;21(4):407–413. doi: 10.1002/art.1780210402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Deegan M. J., Walker S. E., Lovell S. E. Antibodies to double-stranded DNA. A comparison of the indirect immunofluorescent test using crithidia luciliae and the DNA-binding assay. Am J Clin Pathol. 1978 Jun;69(6):599–604. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/69.6.599. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Donadio J. V., Jr, Conn D. L., Holley K. E., Ilstrup D. M. Class of immunoglobulin deposition and prognosis in lupus nephritis. Mayo Clin Proc. 1978 Jun;53(6):366–372. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gershwin M. E., Steinberg A. D. Qualitative characteristics of anti-DNA antibodies in lupus nephritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1974 Nov-Dec;17(6):947–954. doi: 10.1002/art.1780170605. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ginsberg B., Keiser H. A Millipore filter assay for antibodies to native DNA in sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1973 Mar-Apr;16(2):199–207. doi: 10.1002/art.1780160210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Harbeck R. J., Bardana E. J., Kohler P. F., Carr R. I. DNA:anti-DNA complexes: their detection in systemic lupus erythematosus sera. J Clin Invest. 1973 Apr;52(4):789–795. doi: 10.1172/JCI107242. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Johnson G. D., Edmonds J. P., Holborow E. J. Precipitating antibody to D.N.A. detected by two-stage electroimmunodiffusion. Study in S.L.E. and in rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 1973 Oct 20;2(7834):883–885. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)92008-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Krishnan C., Kaplan M. H. Immunopathologic studies of systemic lupus erythematosus. II. Antinuclear reaction of gamma-globulin eluted from homogenates and isolated glomeruli of kidneys from patients with lupus nephritis. J Clin Invest. 1967 Apr;46(4):569–579. doi: 10.1172/JCI105558. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mahajan S. K., Ordóez N. G., Feitelson P. J., Lim V. S., Spargo B. H., Katz A. I. Lupus nephropathy without clinical renal involvement. Medicine (Baltimore) 1977 Nov;56(6):493–501. doi: 10.1097/00005792-197711000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Natali P. G., Tan E. M. Experimental renal disease induced by DNA-anti-DNA immune complexes. J Clin Invest. 1972 Feb;51(2):345–355. doi: 10.1172/JCI106820. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Parker M. D., Turner R. A. Comparison of the complement-fixing activity of antinuclear antibodies in lupus nephritis, mixed connective tissue disease, and scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum. 1976 Sep-Oct;19(5):857–861. doi: 10.1002/art.1780190504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pincus T., Schur P. H., Rose J. A., Decker J. L., Talal N. Measurement of serum DNA-binding activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med. 1969 Sep 25;281(13):701–705. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196909252811304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Samaha R. J., Irvin W. S. Deoxyribonucleic acid strandedness. Partial characterization of the antigenic regions binding antibodies in lupus erythematosus serum. J Clin Invest. 1975 Aug;56(2):446–457. doi: 10.1172/JCI108111. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schur P. H., Sandson J. Immunologic factors and clinical activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med. 1968 Mar 7;278(10):533–538. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196803072781004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sontheimer R. D., Gilliam J. N. DNA antibody class, subclass, and complement fixation in systemic lupus erythematosus with and without nephritis. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1978 Aug;10(4):459–467. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(78)90158-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Soothill J. F., Steward M. W. The immunopathological significance of the heterogeneity of antibody affinity. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Aug;9(2):193–199. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Steinman C. R., Deesomchok U., Spiera H. Detection of anti-DNA antibody using synthetic antigens. Characterization and clinical significance of binding of poly (deoxyadenylate-deoxythymidylate) by serum. J Clin Invest. 1976 May;57(5):1330–1341. doi: 10.1172/JCI108401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Steward M. W., Hay F. C. Changes in immunoglobulin class and subclass of anti-DNA antibodies with increasing age in N/ZBW F1 hybrid mice. Clin Exp Immunol. 1976 Nov;26(2):363–370. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Talal N. Disordered immunologic regulation and autoimmunity. Transplant Rev. 1976;31:240–263. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1976.tb01456.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Tojo T., Friou G. J. Lupus nephritis: varying complement-fixing properties of immunoglobulin G antibodies to antigens of cell nuclei. Science. 1968 Aug 30;161(3844):904–906. doi: 10.1126/science.161.3844.904. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Winfield J. B., Faiferman I., Koffler D. Avidity of anti-DNA antibodies in serum and IgG glomerular eluates from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Association of high avidity antinative DNA antibody with glomerulonephritis. J Clin Invest. 1977 Jan;59(1):90–96. doi: 10.1172/JCI108626. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES