title: Anti-nucleosome antibody: significance in lupus patients lacking anti-double-stranded DNA antibody.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: W U
authors.initials: WU
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA