Abstract
An ELISA spot assay was used to quantitate the number of autoantibody-secreting B cells in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Patients with active disease had 20 fold more anti-DNA, 4 fold more anti-actin and 3 fold more anti-myosin secreting lymphocytes than controls but normal numbers of anti-cardiolipin and anti-transferrin secreting B cells. 60% of SLE patients had increased numbers of B cells reactive with multiple autoantigens. These data suggest that B cell activation in SLE may be influenced by both antigen-specific and antigen-independent factors.
MeSH terms
-
Actins / immunology
-
Adult
-
Antibodies, Antinuclear / analysis
-
Antibodies, Antinuclear / immunology
-
Antibody Specificity
-
Autoantibodies / analysis*
-
Autoantibodies / immunology
-
Autoantigens / immunology*
-
Autoimmune Diseases / blood*
-
Autoimmune Diseases / immunology
-
Autoimmune Diseases / pathology
-
B-Lymphocytes / immunology
-
B-Lymphocytes / pathology*
-
Cardiolipins / immunology
-
DNA / immunology
-
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*
-
Female
-
Humans
-
Leukocyte Count / methods*
-
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / blood*
-
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / immunology
-
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / pathology
-
Lymphocyte Activation
-
Male
-
Myosins / immunology
-
Transferrin / immunology
Substances
-
Actins
-
Antibodies, Antinuclear
-
Autoantibodies
-
Autoantigens
-
Cardiolipins
-
Transferrin
-
DNA
-
Myosins