The effect of polyamines on the binding of anti-DNA antibodies from patients with SLE and normal human subjects

• Published in: Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 153; no. 1; pp. 94 - 103
• Main Authors: Wang, Xiao, Stearns, Nancy A., Li, Xingfu, Pisetsky, David S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2014
• Subjects: Allergy and Immunology; Anti-DNA antibody; Antibodies, Antinuclear - immunology; Antibodies, Antinuclear - metabolism; Antibody Specificity - immunology; Antigen-Antibody Complex - immunology; Antigenicity; Case-Control Studies; DNA - immunology; DNA - metabolism; DNA, Bacterial - immunology; DNA, Bacterial - metabolism; Humans; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - metabolism; Micrococcus luteus; Polyamines; Polyamines - pharmacology; Protein Binding - drug effects; SLE; Spermidine - pharmacology; Spermine; Spermine; Antigenicity; Anti-DNA antibody; Polyamines; SLE
• ISSN: 1521-6616; 1521-7035; 1521-7035
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2014.04.003

Antibodies to DNA (anti-DNA) are the serological hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To elucidate specificity further, the effect of polyamines on the binding of anti-DNA antibodies from patients with lupus was tested by ELISA to calf thymus (CT) DNA; we also assessed the binding of plasmas of patients and normal human subjects (NHS) to Micrococcus luteus (MC) DNA. As these studies showed, spermine can dose-dependently inhibit SLE anti-DNA binding to CT DNA and can promote dissociation of preformed immune complexes. With MC DNA as antigen, spermine failed to inhibit the NHS anti-DNA binding. Studies using plasmas adsorbed to a CT DNA cellulose affinity indicated that SLE plasmas are mixtures of anti-DNA that differ in inhibition by spermine and binding to conserved and non-conserved determinants. Together, these studies demonstrate that spermine can influence the binding of anti-DNA autoantibodies and may contribute to the antigenicity of DNA. •Spermine can inhibit the binding of lupus anti-DNA to mammalian DNA.•Spermine does not affect selective anti-DNA binding to bacterial DNA.•Lupus plasmas contain mixtures of anti-DNA differing in inhibition by spermine.•The antigenic determinants bound by anti-DNA in normal and lupus plasma differ.•Spermine may influence the properties of DNA as an autoantigen.