Open AccessAntibodies to small ribonucleoprotein and to 73‐kD heat shock protein: two distinct markers of mixed connective tissue disease
Author(s) -
APPELBOOM T.,
KAHN M. F.,
MAIRESSE N.
Publication year - 1995
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.1365-2249.1995.tb03727.x
Subject(s) - ribonucleoprotein , heat shock protein , mixed connective tissue disease , antigen , epitope , antibody , biology , immunology , extractable nuclear antigens , autoimmunity , antigenicity , sepharose , microbiology and biotechnology , autoantibody , anti nuclear antibody , biochemistry , rna , enzyme , gene
SUMMARY We set out to discover whether antibodies to small ribonucleoprotein antigens (RNP) and to 73‐kD heat shock protein (hsp 73) which have been proposed as markers of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) recognize different epitopes. MCTD serum was immunoadsorbed on hsp 73‐coupled Sepharose and the affinity retained, and non‐retained fractions were checked by immunoblotting for recognition of either purified bovine hsp 73 or calf thymus extract RNPs. The hsp 73 affinity‐bound serum fraction recognized hsp 73 but not RNP antigens, the reverse being true for the non‐retained fraction. We conclude that anti‐hsp 73 and anti‐RNPs are distinct markers of MCTD.