Characterization of autoantibody activities in sera anti-DNA antibody and circulating immune complexes from 12 systemic lupus erythematosus patients

To examine autoantibodies present in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), sera, circulating immune complexes (CIC), and antibodies purified on DNA-immunoadsorbent were tested by enzyme immunoassay. A panel of self-antigens, including DNA, histones (HIS), glomerular basal membrane (GBM), thymus cell extract (TCE), actin (ACT), myosin (MS), and tubulin (TUB), was used to define their specificities. IgM antibodies against all antigens of the panel were detected in sera, CIC, and in antibodies eluted from the DNA-immunoadsorbent and demonstrated a large polyreactivity. IgG antibodies showed restricted activities against DNA, HIS, GBM, and TCE in sera and a large polyreactivity in CIC. Inhibition experiments were performed to assess their mono- or polyreactivities. Among the IgG autoantibody population recognizing DNA, two populations of IgG antibodies were detected in the sera and in the affinity purified anti-DNA: one recognizes DNA, HIS, and GBM, and the other binds to DNA and to cytoskeletal proteins. These autoantibody populations were found in CIC, which also often contained high amounts of IgG antibodies recognizing ACT and MS. A third population of IgG antibody that recognizes only TCE and could not be inhibited by DNA or other antigens was found in serum and CIC. Our data demonstrate the existence of several populations of autoantibody in serum and CIC of SLE patients: (1) IgM polyreactive autoantibodies, (2) IgG polyreactive autoantibodies recognizing DNA and cytoskeletal proteins, (3) IgG specific to DNA, which cross react with HIS and GBM, and (4) IgG specific to TCE antigens. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.