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

Abstract

By means of acid elution 2 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 2 cases of acroscleroderma, the eluates failed to react wtih 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 did not bind complement in vitro and did not occur in the serum of 4 patients. Circulating antinuclear antibody (speckled type) was detectable in 2 cases of scleroderma.