IMMUNE MECHANISMS IN RENAL DISEASE

Anti-native DNA antibodies and DNA are present in cryopreClpItates from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and some other cryoglob­ ulinemic states. The data suggest that these antibodies may be bound in immune complexes. The demonstration of native DNA in these precipitates raises the likelihood that they represent specific antigen in these complexes. Whether or not these complexes play a pathogenetic role in nonlupus inflammatory diseases remains to be demonstrated. References Aarden, L. A., de Groot, E. R., and Feltkamp, T. E. W., 1975, Immunology of DNA. III. Crithidia luciliae, a simple substrate for the determination of anti-dsDNA with the immu­ nofluorescence technique, Ann. N.Y. A cad. Sci. 254:505. Agnello, V., Winchester, R. J. and Kunkel, H. G., 1970, Precipitin reactions of the Clq component of complement with aggregated 'Y-globulin and immune complexes in gel diffusion, Immunology 19:909. Anker, P., Stroun, M., and Maurice, P. A., 1975, Spontaneous release of DNA by human blood lymphocytes as shown in an in vitro system, Cancer Res. 35:2375. Bankhurst, A. D., and Williams, R. C., 1975, Identification of DNA-binding lymphocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus,]. Clin. Invest. 56:1378. Bluestone, R., Goldberg, L. S., Cracchiolo, A., and Barrett, E. V., 1970, Detection and characterization of DNA in mixed (IgG-IgM) cryoglobulins, Int. Arch. Allergy Appl. Immunol. 39:16.