Pattern of cutaneous immunoglobulin G deposition in subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is reproduced by infusing purified anti-Ro (SSA) autoantibodies into human skin-grafted mice.
Subacute cutaneous lupus and neonatal lupus are closely associated with the presence of anti-Ro (SSA) autoantibodies, but there is no direct evidence establishing a role for anti-Ro (SSA) in these diseases. After parental injection into mice, IgG from sera containing anti-Ro (SSA) will bind human skin grafted onto the mice. To determine whether the antibody binding is due to anti-Ro (SSA), affinity-purified anti-Ro (SSA) and serum depleted of anti-Ro (SSA) were prepared. After injection into human skin-grafted mice, purified anti-Ro (SSA) antibodies bound an antigen in the human skin graft, while preabsorbing anti-Ro (SSA) serum with Ro (SSA) virtually abolished binding to the human skin graft. Moreover, the pattern of IgG deposition was primarily epidermal and was identical in the human skin-grafted mice injected with purified anti-Ro (SSA) when compared with that found in five patients with subacute lupus (four adults, one neonate). These data directly show that anti-Ro (SSA) antibodies bind to the skin, and support the hypothesis that anti-Ro (SSA) autoantibodies are involved in the disease process that produces subacute cutaneous lupus and neonatal lupus.
Lee
L A
LA
Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262.
Gaither
K K
KK
Coulter
S N
SN
Norris
D A
DA
Harley
J B
JB
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism*; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007223:Infant; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000099207:SS-A Antigen; C116006:RO60 protein, human