Antibodies eluted from lymphoid cell membrane. Occurrence in certain varieties of scleroderma

Abstract

By means of acid elution two antibodies could be removed successfully from the circulating lymphocytes of 11 patients with certain varieties of scleroderma. One was specifically directed against nuclear antigen(s) of endothelial cells (NEC) of the dermal blood vessels, and another against nuclear antigen(s) of epidermal basal cells (NBC) of the involved and uninvolved skin of the patients. In two cases of acroscleroderma, the eluates failed to react with either endothelial or basal cells of involved or uninvolved skin. In none of 20 healthy controls involved in this study could an antibody be eluted from the circulating lymphocytes. The aforementioned antibodies do not bind complement in vitro and do occur in the serum of four patients. Circulating antinuclear antibody (speckled type) was detectable in two cases of scleroderma.

Mixed immunofluorescence findings in mixed connective tissue disease

“…The linear staining pattern of basal zone we found with the elution technique has been described in LE by Cormane et al (1974), while the deposition of immunoglobulins we detected over the nuclei of both endothelial cells in the mid-dermis and basal cells of epidermis has been observed only in scleroderma (Cormane et aL, 1979;Nunzi et al, 1981).…”

Acute diffuse scleroderma

“…Although it was tempting to assume that the in volvement of internat organs in scleroderma de pended on antibodies reactive to endothelial cells of the organs in question, as suggested by Cormane et al (1979), a cross reactivity of such antibodies with substrates taken from interna) organs, such as oesophagus and kidney for example, has not been tested in our case; this might have revealed a possi ble visceral involvement before its clinical signs have become apparent.…”

Progressive Systemic Sclerosis

“…Christopher and Robinson (1972) found a decrease in conduction velocity in both sensory and motor peripheral nerves. These authors suggested that the peripheral neuropathy was the result of impairment of the blood supply to the nerves, a conclusion which seems to be borne out by a recent report by Cormane, Hamerlinck and Nunzie (1978) which postulates that the primary event in progressive systemic sclerosis is an immunological attack on the peripheral parts of the vascular system.…”