Spontaneous secretion of antinuclear factors in systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatism

The authors studied the ability of non-stimulated short-term cultures of peripheral lymphocytes of SLE, RA and rheumatic fever patients to spontaneously produce antibodies to DNA and other antinuclear factors. To demonstrate antibodies to DNA, use was made of the radioimmunoassay and the passive hemagglutination test. ANF-test of indirect immunofluorescence. The nosological and clinical features of secretory ANF were explored in the diseases in question. It was established that patients with the main rheumatic diseases are different as regards the rate of demonstration, level and spectrum of secretory ANF. They also differ from the group of donors in terms of the same characteristics. The culture of peripheral lymphocytes of SLE patients has the greatest ability to secrete antibodies to DNA and ANF of the primarily marginal and homogenous types of fluorescence. This characteristic correlates with SLE activity before the disease onset and over time as well as with lupus nephritis. In RA and rheumatic fever, this characteristics correlates with the disease activity, the presence of visceritis in RA. The clinicopathogenetic importance of secretory ANF in rheumatic diseases is discussed.