title: Anti-5S RNA/protein (RNP) antibody levels correlate with disease activity in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephritis.
abstract: A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis without antibodies to dsDNA but with antibodies to a 5S RNA/protein (RNP) complex is presented. Combined RNA precipitation and Western blotting experiments strongly suggested that these newly identified autoantibodies recognized a distinct epitope on the L5 ribosomal protein of the L5/5S RNP complex first described by Steitz et al. [1]. Quantification of the anti-5S RNP antibody levels was done by hybridizing Northern blots of immunoprecipitated RNA from serial serum samples with a 32P-labelled oligoprobe specific for the 5S ribosomal RNA. These studies revealed a strong association between anti-5S RNP autoantibody titre and severity of SLE nephritis over a 3-year prospective study. Our results indicate that the L5/5S RNP can be a target of autoimmune response, and and may serve, in some cases, as marker of SLE severity and response to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guialis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patrinou-Georgoula
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsifetaki
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aidinis
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sekeris
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Moutsopoulos
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S / Q000276:immunology; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D012341:RNA, Ribosomal, 5S; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; C029742:ribosomal protein L5