Analysis of Autoantibodies against RNA Polymerases using Immunoaffinity-Purifed RNA Polymerase I, II, and III Antigen in an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

• Published in: Clinical immunology and immunopathology Vol. 89; no. 1; pp. 71 - 78
• Main Authors: Chang, Mingi, Wang, Richard J., Yangco, Diego T., Sharp, Gordon C., Komatireddy, Geetha R., Hoffman, Robert W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.10.1998; New York, NY Academic Press; Boston
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antigens - isolation & purification; Autoantibodies - analysis; autoantibody; autoimmune; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, Affinity; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases - immunology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; General aspects; Humans; Immunopathology; Longitudinal Studies; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease - blood; Precipitin Tests; RNA polymerase; RNA Polymerase I - immunology; RNA Polymerase II - immunology; RNA Polymerase III - immunology; Scleroderma, Systemic - blood; systemic sclerosis; autoantibody; systemic sclerosis; RNA polymerase; autoimmune; Human; Immunopathology; Connective tissue disease; Skin disease; Enzyme; Antibody; Transferases; Autoantibody; Autoimmune disease; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Assay; Nucleotidyltransferases; Immunoprecipitation reaction; Immunological investigation; Clinical biology; Systemic disease; Lupus erythematosus; Scleroderma; ELISA assay; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0090-1229; 1090-2341
• DOI: 10.1006/clin.1998.4591

Autoantibodies against RNA polymerases (RNAP) have been reported to occur in patients with a wide variety of connective tissue diseases (CTD), including systemic sclerosis (SSc), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). The frequency of anti-RNAP antibodies has been reported to vary widely between different CTD diseases in studies examining different patient populations. Furthermore, these studies have been limited by the fact that methods have not previously been available for detecting antibodies against RNAP which are both rapid and quantitative. We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rapidly quantitating antibodies against RNAP I, II, and III. We have utilized both the ELISA and the immunoprecipitation of35S-labeled HeLa cells to analyze sera from a large cohort of well-characterized Caucasian CTD patients for the presence of anti-RNAP antibodies. We found excellent concordance for the presence of anti-RNAP antibodies using immunoprecipitation and ELISA. Anti-RNAP antibodies occurred predominantly among female patients with the diffuse form of SSc and were detected in 8/36 (22%) of Caucasian patients with diffuse SSc and 1/53 (2%) with limited SSc. Anti-RNAP antibodies occurred in 1/42 (2%) of patients with SLE. Anti-RNAP antibodies did not occur in MCTD (0/49). Antibodies against RNAP were rare among antinucleolar-reactive sera, occurring in only 3/200 (1.5%). The RNAP ELISA provides a validated method which can be rapidly utilized in a clinical diagnostic laboratory setting to identify SSc patients who are at risk for developing diffuse SSc with multiorgan involvement and hypertensive renal crisis.