MEASLES ANTIBODIES AND AUTOANTIBODIES IN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 24  (3) , 407-414
Abstract
Measles CF [complement fixing] antibodies were examined in the sera of patients with a variety of clinical disorders associated with the production of autoantibodies. Previous reports of high-titer reactions in DLE [discoid lupus erythematosus] and chronic active hepatitits were confirmed, the titers in the latter disorder being particularly elevated. Mean antibody titers to measles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were significantly lower than in matched controls, and an inverse correlation between measles antibody levels and serum globulin levels was found. Measles antibody titers in patients with myasthenia gravis and primary biliary cirrhosis did not differ significantly from those found in controls. Subdivision of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis and primary biliary cirrhosis showed that the presence of anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) was associated with significantly increased measles antibody levels compared with the ANA-negative sera. The presence of gastric parietal cell antibody or thyroid microsomal antibody did not appear to be associated with increased measles antibody levels, whether or not they occurred in association with previous anemia or thyroid disease. Possible explanations for these findings in terms of immune complex formation and immune hyper-reactivity are discussed.