Anti-DNA antibodies react with DNA expressed on the surface of monocytes and B lymphocytes.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that nuclear antigens can be expressed on the surfaces of certain cells. We provide evidence that anti-DNA antibodies are reactive with DNA on the surface of monocytes and B lymphocytes. The DNA isolated from monocytes sedimented in a 17.8S position, corresponding to a molecular weight of 4.6 X 10(6); it was mainly double-stranded with many short single stranded regions. In one patient with active systemic lupus erythematosus experiments indicated that anti-DNA antibodies had interacted in vivo with the cell surface DNA on monocytes. The functional significance, if any, of these findings remains to be determined.
D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D004247:DNA