FAILURE TO DETECT CIRCULATING DNA-ANTI-DNA COMPLEXES BY 4 RADIOIMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 30  (3) , 384-392
Abstract
The presence of DNA-anti-DNA complexes in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was investigated by 2 new radioimmunoassays (RIA) developed for this purpose and by measuring the C1q [subunit of 1st component of complement] and DNA binding activity of serum before and after treatment with DNase. Two direct RIA developed in this study were based on the reactivity of [3H]actinomycin D ([3H]ACT-D) or solid-phase methylated bovine serum albumin (mBSA) with DNA-anti-DNA complexes. DNA-anti-DNA complexes prepared in vitro could be efficiently detected at various antigen-antibody ratios by these 2 RIA. Increased levels of circulating immune complexes as indicated by the C1q bind test were found in 52% of SLE sera. The frequency of specific DNA-anti-DNA complexes detected in SLE sera was very low. Only 6% of sera exhibited an increased value deviating by more than 3 SD from the normal mean when tested with the [3H]ACT-D binding RIA or the solid-phase mBSA RIA. There was no significant difference in the serum C1q or DNA binding activity after treatment with DNase. DNA-anti-DNA complexes do not occur frequently in circulating blood and represent only a very small portion of the immune complexes detected in serum from patients with SLE.

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