Type C RNA virus-specific antibody in human systemic lupus erythematosus demonstrated by enzymoimmunoassay.
Postmortem study of proliferative glomerulonephritis associated with human systemic lumpus has previously shown that an antigen related to mammalian type C RNA viral core (p30) proteins is deposited in the renal glomerular lesions with human immunoglobulins in an immune-complex pattern. In the present work, human immunoglobulins were sequentially eluted from the lupus glomerular immune deposits and were assayed by a sensitive enzymoimmunoassay developed for the measurement of anti-p30 antibody activity against purified viral p30 proteins of mammalian type C viruses. Human immunoglobulins showing specific anti-p30 antibody activity, particularly against p30 antigen of feline endogenous virus RD-114 and to a smaller extent against p30 antigen of murine type C virus, were eluted by acid buffer from the glomerular immune deposits in two patients with lupus proliferative glomerulonephritis who have deposits of viral p30-related antigen in the same tissue lesions. This study adds support for the hypothesis that expression of type C viral antigen may be involved in the multifactorial pathogenesis of proliferative glomerulonephritis associated with human systemic lupus.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins