CROSS-REACTIVITY OF ANTI-SULFATIDE ANTIBODY WITH SULFATED GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS AND DNA IN SERA FROM PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS

The cross-reactivity of anti-sulfatide antibody in sera from patients with autoimmune hepatitis was studied. The antibody activity, determin ed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was reduced in the pr esence of heparin, heparan sulfate, fucoidan, and dextran sulfate, but not in the presence of keratan sulfate, dermatan sulfate and chondroi tin sulfate. The reactivity with sulfatide of serum IgG was bound to a heparin-Sepharose column and a double-stranded DNA-cellulose column, and recovered in the fractions eluted with 1.5 M NaCl. Incubation of p atients' sera with heparin and calf thymus DNA reduced the reactivity with sulfatide in 8 and 9, respectively, of 11 patients examined. Thes e findings suggested that anti-sulfatide aantibody was cross-reactive with heparan sulfate, especially heparin, and calf thymus DNA, and tha t this antibody recognizes certain structures containing repetitive, n egatively charged groups as functional epitopes.