title: R2 anti-reticulin antibody in a mixed hospital population.
abstract: R2 anti-reticulin antibody was detected in 15 of the 9,500 serum samples examined (0.16%) from a mixed hospital population. The antibody titre varied from 1:40 to 1:320, and the R2 was of the IgG class in 13 of the 15 positive samples. All the 15 serum samples with R2 were negative on human liver, confirming the lack of cross reaction of this antibody. The reactivity of R2 was not absorbed by soluble fractions of type I collagen, showing that this antibody is not directed against this antigen. R2 was confined to two groups of pathological conditions: connective tissue and digestive tract diseases. Four of 15 patients with R2 had rheumatoid arthritis and in two of these four cases the antibody was of the IgA class.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D003094:Collagen; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012155:Reticulin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D012155:Reticulin; D003094:Collagen