Juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: different clinical and serological pattern than adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in clinical signs and symptoms, and in antinuclear antibodies (ANA), between patients with juvenile-onset and adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Clinical and serological data of 56 patients with juvenile-onset SLE were compared with data of 194 patients with adult-onset SLE. ANA were determined by line immunoassay and by indirect immunofluorescence on Crithidia luciliae. RESULTS: Renal involvement, encephalopathy and haemolytic anaemia were seen, and anti-dsDNA, anti-ribosomal P and antihistone antibodies found, significantly more often in juvenile-onset SLE. Anti-dsDNA antibodies were directly associated, and anti-ribosomal P antibodies inversely associated, with renal involvement in juvenile-onset SLE. In juvenile patients with SLE and anti-dsDNA and without anti-ribosomal P antibodies the odds ratio for glomerulonephritis was 9.00; no patients with anti-ribosomal P but without anti-dsDNA had renal involvement. CONCLUSION: Patients with juvenile-onset SLE more often have renal involvement and encephalopathy than patients with adult-onset SLE. Anti-ribosomal P, anti-dsDNA and antihistone antibodies are more often found in patients with juvenile-onset SLE.

Antibodies against ss-DNA in persons of various age.

Antibodies against denatured, single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid were measured in the sera of children, young adults and old persons by means of a solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a peroxidase-labelled second antibody. Considerable amounts of anti-deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies were found in subjects in all the age groups studied. Mean serum activity in children and old persons was two times as high as that in young adults. Close correlation was observed in old age between the level of antibodies against single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid and disorders of lipid metabolism, namely hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia. Based on their finding that substantial quantities of antibodies of the above type appear to be present in healthy humans at different stages of ontogenesis, the authors suggest these autoantibodies may play, in addition to pathological, some physiological role.

High prevalence of circulating antibodies to MuLV p30 antigen in human sera. An autoimmune response?

To study the possible involvement of a murine leukemia virus (MuLV) related agent in human cancer, an extensive immunoblotting analysis of human sera (cancer, autoimmune as well as control normal ones) for the presence of antibodies to MuLV structural proteins was performed. Out of 350 sera, 89 reacted with gag precursor Pr65, 72 reacted with major viral core protein p30 and five with the matrix protein p15. Antibody reactivity to the env-encoded glycoprotein gp70 was detected in 7 cases out of 16 sera tested. There were no significant differences between pathological and normal sera concerning the patterns and the frequency of the reactivity. Sera from patients with various malignancies (mainly with breast cancer) generally displayed more intensive signals to MuLV p30 than normal sera. Epitope mapping revealed that MuLV p30-reactive antibodies recognize an antigenic determinant(s) located at the carboxyterminus of the protein.

Influence of thymosterin on immunological reactivity in New Zealand mice.

The influence of thymosterin on immunological reactivity of NZB mice was investigated. Thymosterin was administered three times per week for a period of six weeks to male and female NZB mice. Only lymphocytes from untreated female mice gave the positive results in the macrophage migration inhibition test using native DNA as the stimulating antigen. This effect was suppressed in thymosterin treated females. The administration of thymosterin therefore appears to correct the in vitro delayed hypersensitivity to DNA antigen.

Antibodies to natural double-stranded RNA and to synthetic polyribonucleotides in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A parallel testing of antibodies to double-stranded ribonucleic acid in 80 sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus by the membrane binding method using natural 3H-dsRNA preparation and synthetic 125I-poly I. poly C preparation revealed a good correlation (r = +0.81). In a selected set of patients with SLE we observed a slight tendency to preferential binding of the natural preparation and a lower frequency of anti-dsRNA antibodies when compared to that reported by other investigators. The presence of anti-dsRNA did not correlate with the presence of anti-dsDNA.

Age-dependence of spontaneous delayed hypersensitivity to DNA, antinuclear antibody production and development of glomerulonephritis in NZB mice.

In NZB mice of different ages (2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 months) the positivity of the migration inhibition test performed with the ds-DNA in spleen explants was compared with the level of immunofluorescent antinuclear antibodies and the incidence of glomerulonephritis. The positivity of the MIT was apparent at 4 months of age, rose with ageing and decreased after 12 months of age. Production of ANA began later, mostly at 8 months of age, increased progressively with ageing, especially in female mice, and was followed by the development of glomerulonephritis which reached its peak at 16 months of age.

[The value of urinary enzyme determinations in systemic lupus erythematosus (author's transl)]. / Die Bedeutung des Nachweises von Harnenzymen bei systemistiertem Lupus-Erythematosus

During a period of 4 years urine samples from 54 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were repeatedly analysed for the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and alanine aminopeptidase (AAP). Increased urinary enzyme levels were consistently found in 8 patients with severe lupus nephritis and the nephrotic syndrome, as well as in 9 patients with chronic lupus nephritis resistant to therapy. A further group of 9 patients with lupus nephritis responded favourably to immunosuppressive therapy with arrest of kidney-damaging processes; a concomitant normalization of urinary enzyme levels was observed, giving an accurate reflection of the progression of the disease. Another 14 SLE patients showed raised enzyme levels preceding the development of clinical signs of nephropathy. The last 14 SLE patients displayed neither nephropathy nor altered enzyme activities. The determination of urinary enzyme activities is, therefore, considered to be a useful supplement to the routine biochemical analyses performed on the urine in cases of SLE.

[Effect of histone on hematopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) in normal and irradiated organism]. / Vozdeistvie gistona na krovetvornye kletki-predshestvenniki (KOEs) normal'nogo i obluchennogo organizma.

Radiotherapeutic activity of histone fractions H1 and H2A/H2B were studied. It was demonstrated that both fractions are able to reduce the damaging effect of ionizing radiation on spleen colony forming unit (CFU-S) population. Histone preparations stimulated colony-forming activity of bone marrow cells exposed to dose of 0.5-3.0 Gy both in the case of incubation with preparations and intravenous or intraperitoneal administration into recipients of irradiated cells. The effect of histones and accessory thymocytes on CFU-S population is compared.

[Detection of antibodies to submitochondrial particles, F1-ATPase complex and liver specific lipoprotein in liver diseases using ELISA]. / Detekce protilátek proti submitochondriálnym cásticím, F1-ATP-ázovému komplexu a jaternímu specifickému lipoproteínu u jaterních onemocnení pomocí ELISA.

ELISA was elaborated for the determination of antibodies against liver antigen complexes--submitochondrial particles, F1-ATPase and liver specific lipoprotein. The parameters achieved so far allow to use the assay as an undemanding complementary laboratory technique in diagnosing and monitoring hepatopathies of autoimmune origin. Cross reactivity between individual antigen complexes was recorded in the majority of sera from positively reacting patients. The preliminary results show that individual antigen complexes have similar antigen structures bound to high-molecular membrane complexes, some of which, however, can be solubilized on maintaining antigen activity in ELISA.

[Beta-2-microglobulin and ankylosing spondylitis]. / Beta-2-mikroglobulín a akylozujúca spondylitída.

Serum beta-2-microglobulin was examined by radioimmunoassay in 103 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 111 healthy blood-donors. Statistically significant difference between the group of patients and healthy individuals was found related to increased levels of this protein in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Furthers correlation analysis of beta-2-microglobulin in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and chosen clinical and humoral parameters of the disease activity was performed. Positive, statistically significant correlation with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, plasmatic gamma globulins, duration of morning stiffness and global activity of the disease was proved. Higher levels of beta-2-microglobulin in patients with ankylosing spondylitis could be attributed to activation of monocyte macrophages system in subpopulation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, which might be the evidence of the involvement of cytotoxic-T cell mechanisms in the pathogenesis of this disease.

[Antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae in ankylosing spondylitis]. / Protilátky proti Klebsiella pneumoniae pri ankylozujúcej spondylitíde.

The authors investigated the incidence of antibodies against Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli in a group of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and in a group of healthy controls in all main immunoglobulin classes. The results revealed that in patients with ankylosing spondylitis there is a significantly higher incidence of specific antibodies of class IgA against Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli. This supports the thesis on the aetiopathogenetic interrelationship between enteric bacteria and the development of ankylosing spondylitis.

[Autoantibodies against histones and actin determined by western blotting in patients with rheumatic diseases]. / Autoprotilátky proti histonum a aktinu u nemocných s revmatickými onemocneními urcené metodou western blotu.

Using the Western blot method, the authors analyzed 85 sera obtained from patients with rheumatic diseases, focused on the presence of antihistones and antiactin autoantibodies. The authors detected a 32% incidence of the two investigated autoantibody specificities. In a group of 42 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in 22 sera (52%) positive antihistone antibodies were present, whereby autoantibodies anti-H1 and anti-H2B were most frequent. In 15 sera in this group of patients (36%) antiactin autoantibodies were present.

[New findings on the immunologic diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Nové poznatky v imunologickej diagnostike systémového lupus erythematosus.

The authors review recent findings pertaining to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. It was revealed that knowledge of impaired humoral and cellular immunity is of great practical importance and substantially improves the prognosis of the disease.