INCREASED ANTIRETROVIRAL ANTIBODY REACTIVITY IN SERA FROM A DEFINED POPULATION OF PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - CORRELATION WITH AUTOANTIBODIES AND CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

Objective. The implied role of retroviruses in the pathogenesis of mur ine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) led us to study antiretroviral antibodies in a population-based SLE cohort. Methods. Immunoassays usi ng whole virus and synthetic peptides were performed on sera from 72 p atients with SLE and 88 control subjects. Results. Reactions with whol e baboon endogenous virus occurred more frequently in patients with SL E, and correlated with the presence of anti-RNP and anti-Sm. Some retr oviral env and gag peptides, several of which were similar to U1 small nuclear RNP, reacted more strongly in patients with SLE, and their pr esence was correlated with discoid rash, hematologic disorder, and oth er symptoms. Conclusion. These results provide circumstantial evidence for involvement of retroviruses in the pathogenesis of human SLE; fur ther studies should be carried out using other techniques for measurem ent of retroviral expression.