Detection of anti-interferon antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
In this study, we show that sera from 2 of 13 patients with clinically active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) contained anti-interferon alpha (anti-IFN alpha) antibody. In contrast, anti-IFN alpha activity was not detected in sera from patients with clinically inactive SLE, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's syndrome, or in normal individuals. None of the sera exhibited anti-IFN gamma activity. These studies show that anti-IFN antibody, like IFN itself, is most frequently observed in patients with clinically active SLE. It is also possible that the presence of IFN-anti-IFN complexes may contribute, in part, to the pathogenesis of this disease.
D000293:Adolescent; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies; D007370:Interferon Type I; D007371:Interferon-gamma