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Biomedical subjects

D Koffler

Publications and source records attributed to D Koffler.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The occurrence of single-stranded DNA in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and other diseases.

Single-stranded DNA (SDNA) occurs in high incidence and in greatest concentration in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), where levels as high as 250 mug/ml were observed. SDNA appears to be an imunogen for anti-SDNA antibodies and forms complexes in vivo of both anti-SDNA-SDNA and anti-NDNA-SDNA types, which apparently play a role in the pathogenesis of the glomerulonephritis found in patients with SLE, SDNA is also found in high incidence but at lower levels in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Lesser amounts of SDNA are found in several other diseases in which a low incidence of anti-SDNA antibodies is observed.

Adenosine↗

Antibodies to polynucleotides in human sera: antigenic specificity and relation to disease.

The specificities of anti-polynucleotide antibodies found in human sera were studied using several immunological procedures. Anti-native DNA (NDNA) antibodies and certain anti-double-stranded RNA (DSRNA) antibodies were found to react with single-stranded DNA (SDNA), and anti-NDNA antibodies were observed to react more avidly with SDNA than with NDNA in most sera tested. Antibodies to NDNA showed no preferential reactivity with NDNA or SDNA derived from mammalian tissue, bacterial, or viral sources. Precipitating antibodies reactive with individual bases, with common determinants of bases, and with common determinants of SDNA and NDNA were detected utilizing synthetic polydeoxyribonucleotides. Antibodies to DSRNA were also heterogeneous and reactive with both Poly A . Poly U and Poly I . Poly C in addition to reactivity with Poly A and SDNA. In contrast, antibodies to a ribonucleo-protein determined by hemagglutination and by precipitation showed no reaction with NDNA, SDNA, or DSRNA. Serial studies of serum specimens from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) indicated that anti-NDNA antibodies were closely associated with disease activity. Titers of antibodies to SDNA or DSRNA were also frequently increased during these periods but in addition showed peaks during quiescent periods. Anti-NDNA antibodies were detected in most patients' sera at sometime during the course of the disease. Three patients were observed with active SLE, who did not develop anti-NDNA antibodies, even in the presence of severe renal disease. Evidence that other antigen-antibody systems may also play a role in the pathogenesis of the renal disease was particularly apparent in these patients. Anti-ribonucleoprotein antibodies were not well correlated with the peaks of antibody activity of other polynucleotide antibodies, suggesting that an independent immunogen was responsible for induction of these antibodies. The close association of certain populations of anti-polynucleotide antibodies during the course of active SLE, the presence of cross-reacting antigenic determinants of SDNA, NDNA, and DSRNA, the preferential avidity of anti-NDNA antibodies for SDNA, and the frequent increase of anti-SDNA antibodies in SLE and other diseases associated with active tissue destruction suggest that SDNA is a ubiquitous antigen that may stimulate the formation of antibodies reactive with a variety of polynucleotides.

Animals↗

Antibodies to polynucleotides: distribution in human serums.

Hemagglutination procedures were used to determine the distribution of antibodies to native DNA, single-stranded DNA, and double-stranded RNA. Antibodies to all three polynucleotides were found in a high percentage of the serums of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies to native DNA occurred almost exclusively in serums of patients in the active stages of systemic lupus erythematosus, whereas antibodies to single-stranded DNA were observed in the serums of patients with several diseases and of some normal individuals.

Antibody Formation↗

Immunological studies concerning the nephritis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Antibodies were eluted from the isolated glomeruli prepared from the kidneys of 10 patients with the nephritis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies reacting primarily with buffer extracts of nuclei were eluted by acid treatment, and antibodies reacting mainly with DNA and nucleoprotein were eluted with deoxyribonuclease. Quantitative immunochemical studies revealed a high concentration of antinuclear antibody per milligram of gamma-globulin in glomerular eluates compared with that in the corresponding serums. The gamma-globulin of two eluates was found to consist predominantly of antinucleoprotein antibody. The selective elution of antinuclear antibodies was also indicated by the absence of other serum antibodies in the eluates. DNA antigen was demonstrated in the glomeruli of two kidneys with nephritis by means of isolated anti-DNA antibody labeled with fluorescein. In one of these cases, anti-DNA antibodies were also found concentrated in the glomeruli and, in the second, circulating anti-DNA antibodies were demonstrated in the patient's serum. The immunochemical evidence for the high specific activity of antinuclear antibodies and the association of DNA antigen with DNA antibody in glomeruli add further support for the antigen-antibody complex hypothesis for renal injury in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Animals↗