Differential immuno-reactivity to genomic DNA, RNA and mitochondrial DNA is associated with auto-immunity.
Authors: Ivanova VV, Khaiboullina SF, Cherenkova EE, Martynova EV, Nevzorova TA, Kunst MA, Sibgatullin TB, Maksudova AN, Oliveira PJ, Lombardi VC, Palotás A, Rizvanov AA. Publication: Cell Physiol Biochem. 2014;34(6):2200-8. doi: 10.1159/000369663. Epub 2014 Dec 4.
BACKGROUND: Circulating auto-reactive antibodies are hallmark features of auto-immune diseases, however little is known with respect to the specificity of such bio-markers. In the present study, we investigated the specificity of anti-nucleic acid antibodies in the blood of subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy controls.
METHODS: Sera from 12 SLE cases and 8 controls were evaluated for immuno-reactivity to purified RNA, DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA).
RESULTS: As expected, immuno-reactivity to total nucleic acids was significantly higher in subjects with SLE when compared to healthy controls, however a clear distinction was observed among the various nucleic acid sub-types, with sera from SLE subjects displaying the greatest immuno-reactivity to RNA followed by mtDNA and then total DNA.
CONCLUSION: The identification of auto-reactive antibodies can serve as highly sensitive biomarkers, although their specificity may not always allow diagnostic certainty. The knowledge that auto-antibodies in subjects with SLE display differential immuno-reactivity may help to improve existing diagnostics and may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of auto-immune disorders.
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