Open AccessLa/SSB ribonucleoprotein levels increased in transformed cells
Author(s) -
ROTHER R. P.,
THOMAS P. S.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1991.tb05645.x
Subject(s) - flow cytometry , ribonucleoprotein , immunofluorescence , cell culture , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , monoclonal antibody , antigen , cell , antibody , immunology , virology , rna , genetics , gene
SUMMARY Autoantibodies to the La/SSB ribonucleoprotein are commonly found in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Previous studies have shown that La/SSB accumulates in cells shortly after viral infection. We have extended these studies by investigating levels of the La/SSB antigen in virally and spontaneously transformed cell lines (contact‐insensitive and tumourigenic) relative to their non‐transformed counterpart cell lines (contact‐sensitive and non‐tumourigenic). Transformed BALB/ 3T12‐3 and KNRK fibroblasts were visibly brighter by immunofluorcscence assay than non‐transformed BALB/3T3 and NRK fibroblasts respectively, when reacted with anti‐La/SSB specific sera. This was confirmed by flow cytometry, as La/SSB levels were elevated in the transformed counterparts of the same cell lines. An anti‐Sm monoclonal antibody and normal human serum reacted with these cell lines failed to show a significant increase by flow cytometry. Finally, a two‐fold increase in the La/SSB antigen was demonstrated in cell lysates of these cell lines by a capture ELISA. These data show that La/SSB is elevated in transformed cell lines compared with non‐transformed counterpart cell lines and suggest that this increase is not restricted to viral transformation.