Autoimmunity to a 28-30 kD cell membrane DNA binding protein: occurrence in selected sera from patients with SLE and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). |
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Authors: | R M Bennett K A Cornell M J Merritt A C Bakke P H Hsu S H Hefeneider |
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Affiliation: | Department of Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201. |
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Abstract: | Previous experiments have established the presence of a 30-kD DNA binding protein on the surface of human leukocytes. Herein we report that selected sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and MCTD are reactive with a 28-30 kD protein on immunoblots of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cell membrane preparations; the reactivity is abolished by prior incubation of the blot with DNA. Antibodies eluted from the 28-30 kD strip inhibited the binding of 3H. DNA to human PBMC. An immunomatrix of 28-30 kD reactive immunoglobulins was able to extract a 29-kD DNA binding protein from a PBMC cell membrane preparation. Flow cytometry experiments confirmed the cell surface IgG reactivity of sera with T lymphocytes. Additional experiments indicated that cell surface IgG binding was not due to antibodies binding to cell surface DNA, DNA anti-DNA immune complexes reacting with a DNA binding protein, anti-histone antibodies or anti-Sm antibodies. It is hypothesized that this autoimmune response could be one component of an idiotypic network involving anti-DNA antibodies. |
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Keywords: | DNA binding protein cell surface antibodies SLE MCTD |
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