ANTI-TUBULIN ANTIBODY IN HEALTHY-ADULTS AND PATIENTS WITH INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SMOOTH-MUSCLE ANTIBODY (SMA)

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (2) , 328-336
Abstract
Antibody to tubulin in man was studied using a specific radioimmunoassay, affinity chromatography and fluorescence microscopy. Detectable antibody was found in all sera examined by radioimmunoassay but markedly increased levels were noted in patients with infectious mononucleosis where the antibody was predominantly Ig[immunoglobulin]M. This finding was confirmed on fluorescence microscopy. Affinity chromatography purified antibody produced characteristic microtubular staining of fixed 3T3 [mouse] cells and produced weak staining of cryostat sections of rat tissue, similar in distribution to that of smooth muscle antibody. The IgM smooth muscle antibody found in infectious mononucleosis by IF [immunofluorescence] techniques is at least partly due to an antitubulin antibody.