title: Shifts of anti-Sm-specific antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: analysis by counter-immunoelectrophoresis, immunoblotting and RNA-immunoprecipitation.
abstract: We investigated serial changes in anti-Sm-specific antibodies by counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), immunoblotting (IB) and RNA-immunoprecipitation (RNA-IP) in three patients with SLE. To assess the immuno-regulatory processes underlying anti-Sm antibody production, we compared changes in anti-Sm-specific antibodies with changes in titres of antinuclear and anti-ds DNA antibodies. IB and RNA-IP detected anti-Sm antibodies earlier than did CIE. The induction of the immune responses against the Sm-specific BB' and D polypeptides occurred separately in two of the three patients. Anti-Sm developed in all three cases after a flare-up of disease, whereas anti-ds DNA antibody levels fluctuated in parallel with disease activity. Thus, anti-Sm and anti-ds DNA antibody production seems to be independently regulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: ter Borg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horst
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Limburg
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kallenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens; D003378:Counterimmunoelectrophoresis; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D012313:RNA; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA