title: Prognostic significance of DNA-binding capacity patterns in patients with lupus nephritis.
abstract: The time course of DNA binding capacity (DNA-bc) was found to correlate with the clinical course in a group of 21 patients who had biopsy-proven lupus glomerulonephritis and were treated with immunosuppressive agents. Eight patients showed a sequential DNA-bc pattern in which a high titre of anti-DNA antibody was present for a prolonged period of time all having an unfavourable clinical course. Persistently high values of DNA-bc preceded by as much as 10 months evidence of renal deterioration obtained by conventional renal function tests. Thirteen patients showed a low titre of anti-DNA antibody throughout most of their course, 12 having a favourable outcome. An initially high value of DNA-bc had no prognostic significance. These results suggest that the persistence of a high titre of anti-DNA antibody in patients with lupus glomerulonephritis is a poor prognostic sign.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004247:DNA