DNA Hydrolyzing Autoantibodies

Abstract
A DNA-nicking activity was detected in the sera of patients with various autoimmune pathologies and was shown to be a property of autoantibodies. The DNA hydrolyzing activity, which was purified by affinity and high-performance liquid chromatography, corresponded in size to immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG and had a positive response to antibodies to human IgG. The DNA hydrolyzing autoantibodies were stable to acid shock and yielded a DNA degradation pattern that was different from that of deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I and blood DNase.