Abstract
We describe a human monoclonal antibody designated WRI 176 β and a common idiotype that it carries. This antibody was derived from the spleen of a patient with SLE. WRI 176 is an IgM kappa monoclonal reacting with ssDNA, dsDNA, poly(dT) and it is likely that mAb WRI 176 β is a representative of the so-called natural autoantibodies. The common Id designated WRI 176 Id β is located on the heavy chain of the mAb WRI 176 β molecule and appears to be located outside the binding site. Sequence analysis of the WRI 176 β heavy chain showed it to be highly homologous (97.3%) with a germline gene 56PI derived from a human fetus. In a retrospective analysis, although 44% of SLE patients had raised levels of the WRI 176 β no correlation was found with the activity of the disease. The idiotype was also expressed frequently in a range of autoimmune rheumatic and infectious diseases and in some healthy first-degree relatives of SLE patients.
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