Experimental Production of Antinuclear Antibodies

Abstract

Nuclcoproteins were found to be weak antigens for rabbits and guinea pigs and to give rise to various antibodies, reacting with nucleoprotein and/or DNA and histone. There was interspecies cross reactivity. Clear-cut and strongly positive lupus erythematosus (LE) phenomena were not observed. One guinea pig immunized with nuclei showed a weak LE like phenomenon. The serologic pattern of antinucleoprotein-antibodies in these experimental animals is strikingly similar to that in SLE. In none of the animals were pathologic changes observed which are pathognomonic of SLE. The pathogenetic significance of the anti-nucleoprotein antibodies has not been defined by the present study.