IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES CONCERNING THE NEPHRITIS OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Abstract
Antibodies were eluted from the isolated glomeruli prepared from the kidneys of 10 patients with the nephritis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies reacting primarily with buffer extracts of nuclei were eluted by acid treatment, and antibodies reacting mainly with DNA and nucleoprotein were eluted with deoxyribonuclease. Quantitative immunochemical studies revealed a high concentration of antinuclear antibody per milligram of γ-globulin in glomerular eluates compared with that in the corresponding serums. The γ-globulin of two eluates was found to consist predominantly of antinucleoprotein antibody. The selective elution of antinuclear antibodies was also indicated by the absence of other serum antibodies in the eluates.