Antinuclear antibodies and nuclear antigens.

The lupus erythematosus (LE) cell factor is one of a variety of heterogeneous antibodies directed against many nuclear antigens. These antinuclear antibodies are found in a wide variety of clinical disorders. As detected by immunofluorescence techniques, they are so frequently found in association with systemic lupus erythematosus that their absence essentially excludes that diagnosis. It is suggested that in certain situations other than systemic lupus, antinuclear antibodies may be the result of some inflammatory and destructive processes. Antinuclear antibodies may be detected in certain lower animals frequently in association with disease. In lower animals, immunization with nuclear antigens appropriately complexed* to protein carriers consistently results in the induction of antinuclear antibodies. In both man and animals, antinuclear antibodies are often detected without associated disease. Furthermore, antinuclear antibodies are not injurious to intact tissue culture cells. Nonetheless, antigen-antibody complexes consisting of nuclear antigens and antinuclear antibodies may contribute to the propagation of certain diseases, particularly lupus nephritis. The use of antinuclear antibodies as immunochemical tools holds great promise for the better understanding of such nuclear antigens as are found in viruses and in the nuclei of certain malignant cells.