Antibodies to double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA, dsDNA-Ab) are frequently found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially during active disease and differ with respect to immunoglobulin class and avidity. The detection of anti-dsDNA is one of the diagnostic criteria for SLE according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Most of the commercial ELISA test systems have great advantages in routine laboratory testing but often detect dsDNA-Ab which are not specific for SLE and therefore give false positive results for non-SLE patients. The newly developed ELISA presented here, using human recombinant dsDNA (h-Rek) is compared to two commercial ELISA tests with genomic dsDNA from salmon testes (L-dsDNA) or plasmid dsDNA (P-dsDNA) and to the Chrithidia luciliae immunofluorescence test (CLIF) as well. In this study 143 sera were tested, 48 derived from patients with SLE, 40 from rheumatoid arthritis patients, 26 from non-rheumatoid patients whose sera were ANA-negative but L-dsDNA-Ab-positive and 30 from healthy volunteers. All patients were followed and clinically defined by the rheumatology outpatient clinic of our hospital. The prevalence for SLE of all sera was 32%. The sensitivity was 0.73 (h-Rek), 0.83 (L-dsDNA), 0.81 (P-dsDNA) and 0.57 (CLIF); specificity was determined 0.84 (h-Rek), 0.62 (L-dsDNA), 0.63 (P-dsDNA) and 0.98 (CLIF). The diagnostic efficiency of the L-dsDNA- and P-dsDNA-assay was identical, 0.69, and amounted to 0.81 for the h-Rek and 0.84 for the CLIF. Comparing all the ELISA tests and CLIF, the human recombinant dsDNA ELISA is much more sensitive than the CLIF, but considerably more specific than the ELISA assays using genomic or plasmid DNA, whereas the diagnostic efficiency is very close to that of the CLIF. This new generation of anti-dsDNA ELISA using human recombinant dsDNA seems to be a much better diagnostic tool for the detection of highly specific anti-dsDNA antibodies in the diagnosis of SLE than other commercial ELISAs. These results can only be explained by the use of a human recombinant antigen instead of undefined genomic or recombinant plasmid DNA for immobilization.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemochromatosis arthropathy--an early manifestation of genetic hemochromatosis].

Recent studies have shown a high frequency of genetic hemochromatosis in the Caucasian population. In addition, the well known organ involvement of genetic hemochromatosis was evident; more than 50% of patients develop a typical arthropathy which may result in severe physical disability. Among approximately 5000 patients referred to the rheumatology outpatient clinics of Bad Nauheim and Frankfurt with different rheumatologic diagnoses, 11 patients with typical signs of hemochromatotic arthropathy were identified. In none of those cases had the diagnosis "genetic hemochromatosis" been previously established. These patients had been treated for rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatologic disorders over several years. All showed severe organ dysfunction due to iron overload, resulting in a reduced life expectancy. This investigation shows that knowledge of the typical signs of hemochromatotic arthropathy could lead to an earlier diagnosis of genetic hemochromatosis which is necessary to prevent the complications of iron overload in those patients.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Restriction site mapping of adenovirus type 8 genome types.

The DNA of 60 adenovirus type 8 (AV8) isolates (collected during the period 1961 to 1982, mostly in Western Germany) was analysed by 6 endonucleases and revealed 6 different genome types, thus implying that the variability of AV8 is relatively low. It was found that 45 isolates belonged to the genome type D1. Restriction site maps of a prototype D1 and of all deviating restriction variants were elaborated for enzymes BamHI, BglII, Hind-III and SalI.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A rational system for classifying and denominating adenovirus genome types.

We propose to classify "genome types" of human adenoviruses in the same way as the "genomic clusters" defined by Li and Wadell, i.e. groups of closely related DNA variants of a given serotype named by the use of indices, P (standing for prototype) a, b etc. Variants within the genome type are named by letter-number indices (p1, p2; a1, a2 etc.). The percentage of comigrating restriction fragments and common restriction sites is significantly higher in variants than between genome types. The new naming system is applicable to adenoviruses from 5 subgenera, but requires additional work for subgenus C strains. Renaming is required mainly for adenovirus 7.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The epidemiology of the human rabies threat in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Epidemiological data were recorded and blood samples were obtained from a group of 297 individuals from Luxembourg who had been in contact with rabies-infected or -suspected animals from 1979 to 1985, and who had been vaccinated with a complete course of HDCS rabies vaccine. The majority of the subjects were farmers aged between 30 and 59. The most frequent source of infection was cattle, followed by foxes, sheep and cats. Dogs were in the fifth position only, probably as a direct result of obligatory vaccination of dogs in Luxembourg. Animal rabies was proven in 253 of the 297 cases; in 35 cases, rabies diagnosis was not confirmed, and in 9 cases the animals escaped. Concerning the mode of contact, most people (86%) reported having had contact which caused no skin lesions. Contact with skin lesion, i.e. by biting, scratching or scraping, was only reported in connection with dogs, cats and wild animals, whereas with cattle and other farm animals, contact was mostly without skin lesion. The hand was the part of the body (85%) most frequently involved. Sera were tested by an enzyme immunoassay for rabies antibodies. The results were unsatisfactory: 21.5% of the cases had no demonstrable antibodies and 15.2% had antibodies in low titre. No decline in antibody titre was found according to the time interval after vaccination. Therefore, the enzyme immunoassay does not appear to be optimal to determine long-term immunity.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An immunologic classification of heterotypic antibody responses to adenoviruses in man.

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Adenoviridae Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pyruvate kinase type tumor M2 plasma levels in patients afflicted with rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Since tumor markers can be increased in the course of many benign diseases, the aim of this study was to verify if this also occurs in the course of rheumatic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the incidence and characteristics of Tumor M2-PK in the EDTA-plasma of 137 patients suffering from rheumatic diseases. RESULTS: The tumor M2-PK concentration was increased in 52 out of 63 patients (82%) with classical rheumatoid arthritis, in 15 out of 21 patients (71%) with systemic lupus erythematosus, in 14 out of 17 patients (82%) with seronegative spondylarthritis and in 13 out of 28 patients with miscellaneous rheumatic diseases (46%). Malignant neoplasm was not detected in any of the patients with rheumatic diseases. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that the EDTA-plasma concentrations of Tumor M2-PK were increased in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗