PROPERTIES OF ANTI-NUCLEAR ANTIBODIES THAT CROSS-REACT WITH PLASMA-MEMBRANES

Certain human antinuclear antibodies (ANA) cross‐react specitically with the surface membrane of human leucocytes, in the present work ihese cross‐reacting (X) ANA could be eluted directly from viable leucocytes isolaied from three patients. The plasma membrcine antigen recognized by X‐ANA appeared phylogenetically highly conserved since it was present on viable HeLa cells and cells from mouse and rabbit spleen, rat liver, and the slime mould Physarum polycephalum. X‐ANA did not react with the plasma membrane of nucleated bird erythrocytes or human erythrocytes or thrombocytes. The same X‐ANA subset reacted with the various cells. The presence of X‐ANA correlated strongly (P < 0.01) with antibodies against a HcLa cell surface antigen. The nuclear antigen recognized by X‐ANA was present in all species examined, including bird erythrocyte nuclei and nuclei of Physarum polycephalum. Native or denatured DNA, RNA or a saline extract of nuclei did not inhibit the binding of X‐ANA to cell nuclei. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved