Anti-nucleosome antibody: significance in lupus patients lacking anti-double-stranded DNA antibody.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical significance of anti-nucleosome antibodies in SLE patients lacking anti-double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies.


METHODS
IgG anti-nucleosome antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in the sera of SLE patients. Anti-dsDNA antibodies were measured by Farr assays and ELISA, not only in the samples taken for anti-nucleosome testing, but also in sera obtained regularly during the follow-up.


RESULTS
Ninety-eight (76.0%) out of 129 patients with SLE had anti-nucleosome antibodies. Twenty-five patients (19.4%) consistently showed little or no anti-dsDNA reactivity during the course of their disease, and among these anti-nucleosome antibodies were present in the sera of 15 (60.0%). Of the patients with anti-dsDNA-negative SLE, renal disorders were present in 8 patients (32.0%), all of whom had anti-nucleosome antibodies. Renal disorders were not found in patients (n = 10) who had neither anti-dsDNA nor anti-nucleosome antibodies. Other autoantibodies such as anti-Ro, anti-Sm and anti-cardiolipin were not associated with renal disorders in this group. The levels of anti-nucleosome antibody strongly correlated with the SLEDAI scores, but inversely correlated with serum complement levels in anti-dsDNA negative SLE patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the anti-nucleosome antibody may be a useful marker for diagnosis and activity assessment of anti-dsDNA negative SLE. Anti-nucleosome antibody may be an important factor for renal involvement in this subgroup of patients.
Min
D J
DJ
The Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute of Immunobiology, Catholic Research Institutes of Medical Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul.
Kim
S J
SJ
Park
S H
SH
Seo
Y I
YI
Kang
H J
HJ
Kim
W U
WU
Cho
C S
CS
Kim
H Y
HY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA