Abstract
AbstractThe immunologic specificities of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in sera from 97 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied. The frequency of ANA detected by immunofluorescence with mouse kidney sections as substrate was 60% (59/97) compared to 13% (7/55) in controls. IgM ANA was positive in 41% (40/97) of RA sera, IgG ANA in 40% (39/97), and IgA ANA in 33% (32/97). Specificities of antibodies in the ANA positive sera were examined by radioimmunoassay for antibodies to DNA and by immunodiffusion for antibodies to Sm antigen, nuclear ribonucleoprotein, and the SS‐A and SS‐B nuclear antigens. Antibodies to these nuclear antigens were found infrequently (1.7% to 6.8%). Sera were further investigated for antibodies to histones by an immunofluorecent method previously described using acid‐extraced and histone reconstituted tissue section. Twinty‐four percent of the ANA positive sera (14/55) reacted with a histone‐dependent nuclear antigen. The relationship of rheumatoid factor to ANA was studied by isolating rheumatoid factors (RF) from aggregated IgG absorbant columns. Ten of 19 isolated RF showed ANA activity, which did not result from complexes of rheumatoid factor with IgG ANA since IgM rheumatoid factor, dissociated from IgG under acid conditions, continued to show ANA activity. In 8 of 16 RA sera tested, both ANA and rheumatoid factor activity could be inhibited by aggregated IgG. Five of the cross‐reacting rheumatoid factors reacted specifically with a histone‐dependent antigen in the reconstitution assay. These findings show that approximatley 50% of rheumatoid factors possess cross‐reactivity with nuclear components, and histones are involved in a significant number of these reactions.
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