A COMPARISON OF AUTOANTIBODIES AND COMMON DNA ANTIBODY IDIOTYPES IN SLE PATIENTS AND THEIR SPOUSES

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Abstract
In order to determine whether environmental influence per se might influence autoantibody production, sera from the spouses of 20 SLE patients wereexamined. No antibodies to cardiolipin, poly (ADP-ribose), or ENA were detected and none had detectable rheumatoid factor. One weakly positive ANA reaction was noted, one had anti-DNA antibodies (by RIA and ELISA) and in two sera the common DNA antibody ldiotype 16/6 was found. The idiotype was not, however, present on either anti-DNA or anti-K30 antibodies. Although long-term analyses arc required, it is evident that sharing the same environment with patients who commonly express a wide range of autoantibodies and common idiotypes-rarely leads to their expression in non-autoimmune subjects