Antibodies to small ribonucleoprotein and to 73-kD heat shock protein: two distinct markers of mixed connective tissue disease.
We set out to discover whether antibodies to small ribonucleoprotein antigens (RNP) and to 73-kD heat shock protein (hsp 73) which have been proposed as markers of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) recognize different epitopes. MCTD serum was immunoadsorbed on hsp 73-coupled Sepharose and the affinity retained, and non-retained fractions were checked by immunoblotting for recognition of either purified bovine hsp 73 or calf thymus extract RNPs. The hsp 73 affinity-bound serum fraction recognized hsp 73 but not RNP antigens, the reverse being true for the non-retained fraction. We conclude that anti-hsp 73 and anti-RNPs are distinct markers of MCTD.
Appelboom
T
T
Erasmus University Hospital, University of Brussels, Belgium.
Kahn
M F
MF
Mairesse
N
N
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear / Q000276:immunology*
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear