Quantitation of IgM- and IgG-secreting B cells in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
An enzyme-linked immunospot assay was used to quantitate the number of autoantibody-secreting B cells in the peripheral blood of 67 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. These patients had 1.5-4-fold more lymphocytes secreting IgG and IgM per million peripheral blood lymphocytes than did normal controls. There was a concomitant increase in the number of B cells secreting antibodies reactive with a diverse panel of foreign and self antigens (including actin, myosin, tri-nitrophenylated keyhole limpet hemocyanin, ovalbumin, and retroviral gp160). By comparison, the number of B cells producing anti-DNA antibodies was increased disproportionately. The magnitude of this anti-DNA response correlated significantly with disease activity. Thus, B cell activation in human systemic lupus erythematosus had characteristics of both generalized (polyclonal) B cell activation and (auto)antigen-specific immune stimulation.
Klinman
D M
DM
Laboratory of Retrovirus Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Shirai
A
A
Ishigatsubo
Y
Y
Conover
J
J
Steinberg
A D
AD
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M