Different mode of circulating immune complexes and anti-ssDNA antibodies in sera of lepromatous leprosy and systemic lupus erythematosus

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Abstract
Circulating immune complexes (CIC) and anti-ss [single-stranded] DNA antibody were detected in sera of the patients with lepromatous leprosy (LL) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There was a markedly quantitative difference in the level of CIC and anti-ssDNA antibody between LL and SLE. Quantitative correlation study showed a lack of association between these 2 serological tests in LL but a significant association in SLE. In addition, ssDNA was not demonstrable in CIC of LL. These findings suggest that the mode of the appearance of these serological abnormalities in LL was completely different from that in autoimmune disease like SLE, and might be the result of polyclonal B cell activation, whose causative factors seemed to be different from those of SLE.