Anti-idiotypic antibody to anti-DNA antibody in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract

Anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibody to anti-DNA antibody in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was studied. Thirty-five samples from 11 patients with SLE were tested for anti-Id antibody activity by using the inhibition of standard anti-DNA antibody activity. Anti-DNA antibody and anti-Id antibody to anti-DNA antibody were measured with ELISA in 25 samples and with Farr's assay in 14 samples. It was suggested that there were two types of anti-idiotypic antibodies : the one was to anti-ssDNA antibody or anti-DNA antibody with low avidity and the other was to anti-dsDNA antibody or anti-DNA anti-body with high avidity. There were 12 samples without anti-idiotypic activity to anti-DNA antibody. Five of 12 samples were accompanied with high titer of anti-DNA antibody, and the other 7 samples were not. These 7 samples without high titer of anti-DNA antibody were all associated with central nervous system lupus (CNS lupus). The correlationship between CNS lupus and anti-idiotypic antibody activity to anti-DNA antibody was suggested.