# IMMUNE RESPONSE TO NON-DNA CONTAINING ANTIGENS IN SLE

> **NIH NIH R01** · OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION · 1993 · $146,951

## Abstract

The serological hallmark of the altered immunological status of patients
with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the presence of antibodies in
the sera of these patients to variety of autoantigens, most notably DNA and
complexes of DNA-histone.  Our laboratory has engaged in a study of immune
responses in SLE patients to a family of antigens which do not contain DNA
but are small RNA protein particles.  Precipitating antibodies to one or
more of these antigens occur in 80% of unselected SLE patients.  All of
these antigens have been purified to chemical homogeneity by affinity
chromatography methods and sensitive ELISA techniques adapted to
measurement of specific antibodies.

This proposal aims to study several aspects of the immune response to these
RNAprotein antigens as well as some studies of idiotypes on anti-DNA
molecules in SLE patients.  The problems to be studied are (1) an analysis
of the cellular basis of the association of the response to the antigen
pairs Ro/SSA, La/SSB and nRNP, Sm.  (2) Examination of anti-Ro/SSA
antibodies from different SLE subsets for the presence of distinguishing
molecular characteristics, including specific idiotype markers.  (3) Search
for evidence of participation of antibodies to the RNAprotein antigens in
circulating immune complexes in SLE and Sjogren's patients.  (4) Study of
shared idiotypes on anti-DNA molecules in SLE sera and the study of
autoanti-idiotypes in individual SLE patients studied longitudinally.  (5)
Age related production of specific autoantibodies in the SLE population.
(6) Search for Ro/SSA antigen in neonatal skin and conducting tissue of the
heart.

Such studies should enhance our understanding of the production of these
antibodies, their role in disease expression, and their relationship to the
basic defect in immunoregulation characteristic of these patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155980
- **Project number:** 5R01AR031133-11
- **Recipient organization:** OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NGCNCJ1X6XA4
- **Principal Investigator:** Morris Reichlin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $146,951
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1981-12-01 → 1996-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155980

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155980, IMMUNE RESPONSE TO NON-DNA CONTAINING ANTIGENS IN SLE (5R01AR031133-11). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155980. Licensed CC0.

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