title: Investigation of the nature and specificity of antinuclear antibody in dogs.
abstract: A liquid phase radioimmunoassay was used to test sera from 34 dogs in 3 categories, determined by presence of antinuclear antibody (ANA) and disease, for antibodies against native canine DNA and dAdT, a synthetic double-stranded DNA analog. Antibodies to dAdT were absent in healthy dogs which, as a group, had levels of DNA antibodies consistent with those reported for healthy persons. Canine patients with a variety of illnesses, but which remained ANA negative, had slightly increased levels of binding of DNA and dAdT. As a group, ANA-positive dogs had significantly increased binding of dAdT and native DNA, which was shown to be mainly, but not entirely, double stranded. In the ANA-positive group, no correlation was found among ANA titer, % DNA binding, and % dAdT binding, indicating that these 3 procedures detect antibodies with differing specificities. In dogs, ANA are heterogeneous in antigenic specificity. Antibodies to double-stranded nucleic acid in dogs do not appear to be as specific for systemic lupus erythematosus as they are reported to be in persons with autoimmune disease.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000276:immunology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011067:Poly dA-dT / Q000276:immunology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D011067:Poly dA-dT; D004247:DNA