An antibody reacting with splenic red pulp macrophages in the sera of patients with rheumatic diseases

An antibody was detected in the sera of patients with certain rheumatic diseases that reacted with the cytoplasm of the splenic red pulp (SRP) cells of adult mice. This antibody was detected in the sera of all patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), 53% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 42% with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and 10% with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, this antibody was found neither in the sera from patients with other types of rheumatic diseases nor in healthy volunteers. The screening of this antibody may be useful in diagnoses of MCTD, SLE, and SS. In the present study, we also performed the characterization of the cells reacting with this antibody. The cells proved to be acid phosphatase positive phagocytes in the SRP, that is, red pulp macrophages. Moreover, a histochemical analysis of the reacting antigen in these cells has demonstrated that its antigenic activity is NaIO₄ and RNase sensitive, suggesting that the antigen may be associated with RNA.