HETEROGENEOUS NEURO-CYTOTOXIC ANTIBODIES IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 35  (2) , 210-217
Abstract
Sera from 18 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were tested for cytotoxic antibody [Ab] to 3 neuronal and 2 glial continuous cell lines of human origin. Of the 18 sera, 15 (80%) were cytotoxic to at least 1 of the cell lines, but only 7 sera were active against all 5 lines. Three sera had anti-neuronal but not anti-glial reactivity. No sera were gliocytotoxic without neurocytotoxicity. Three SLE sera with relatively strong cytotoxicity to all 5 cell lines were absorbed with each of the cell lines separately and the absorbed sera were then tested for residual cytotoxicity to each of the cell lines. The absorptions uncovered at least 6 different Ab specificities directed at antigens [Ag] expressed on some but not all of the neuronal and glial cell lines. Each patient''s serum had its own profile of Ab specificities reactive with membrane Ag on nervous tissue-derived cells.