title: Restricted heterogeneity and changing spectrotypes in autoantibodies to La/SS-B.
abstract: Isoelectric focusing (IEF) spectrotype of specific immunoglobulins has been studied as a marker for B-cell clonality. In the present study, the spectrotype of anti-La antibodies in human autoimmune sera were analyzed by newly developed IEF sandwich assay in which focused total immunoglobulin on filter papers are incubated with crude antigen followed by horse-radish peroxidase-labeled anti-La antibodies. The anti-La spectrotypes contained oligoclonal bands, the positions and patterns of which are different in each patient, suggesting the preferential expansion of limited numbers of anti-La producing B-cell clones unique to individual patients. Furthermore, the bands on anti-La spectrotype in sequentially obtained sera changed continuously, suggesting alteration in the expanding anti-La producing clones. These may reflect affinity maturation and/or diversification of the B-cell epitopes involving somatic mutation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology & Immunology, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7280, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akizuki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homma
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D000097585:SS-B Antigen
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000097585:SS-B Antigen; C035357:SS-B antibodies