title: Absence of circulating immune complexes containing DNA in hemodialysed sera.
abstract: Although the presence of free DNA and antibodies to DNA in the sera of patients on maintenance hemodialysis has been reported, we found only a low incidence of antibodies to single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) and native DNA (n-DNA) using an improved detection technique. In our search for evidence of the possible formation of DNA-anti-DNA circulating immune complexes (CIC), antibodies to n-DNA were detected in the sera of only 2 of 53 dialysed and 1 of 25 non-dialysed renal patients. CICs were detected in the sera of 17 of 53 dialysed (28% by Raji-RIA, 6% by Clq-BA) and 6 of 25 non-dialysed (20% by Raji-RIA and 24% by Clq-BA) renal patients: the difference is not significant (P greater than 0.25). DNase digestion of the dialysed sera that were positive for CIC by Raji-RIA produced no significant change in the results on re-assay (P greater than 0.50) in contrast with a significant decrease in CIC after DNase digestion of selected SLE sera and of solutions containing DNA-anti-DNA complexes formed in vitro (P less than 0.05). The formation of circulating DNA-anti-DNA complexes appears not to be the cause of the low incidence of antibodies to n-DNA in the sera of dialysed patients.
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D004247:DNA