ANTIBODIES TO POLYNUCLEOTIDES IN HUMAN SERA: ANTIGENIC SPECIFICITY AND RELATION TO DISEASE

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Abstract
The specificities of anti-polynucleotide antibodies found in human sera were studied using several immunological procedures. Anti-native DNA (NDNA) antibodies and certain anti-double-stranded RNA (DSRNA) antibodies were found to react with single-stranded DNA (SDNA), and anti-NDNA antibodies were observed to react more avidly with SDNA than with NDNA in most sera tested. Antibodies to NDNA showed no preferential reactivity with NDNA or SDNA derived from mammalian tissue, bacterial, or viral sources. Precipitating antibodies reactive with individual bases, with common determinants of bases, and with common determinants of SDNA and NDNA were detected utilizing synthetic polydeoxyribonucleotides. Antibodies to DSRNA were also heterogeneous and reactive with both Poly A · Poly U and Poly I · Poly C in addition to reactivity with Poly A and SDNA. In contrast, antibodies to a ribonucleo-protein determined by hemagglutination and by precipitation showed no reaction with NDNA, SDNA, or DSRNA.