MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF SNRNAS AND SCRNAS USING AUTOANTIBODIES FROM PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Immunoprecipitation analysis of total HeLa cells RNA extract by protei n A-Sheparose purified autoantibodies and pCp P-32-3' and labeling RNA s revealed that U1, U2, U4 and U5 snRNAs are related with anti-Sm or U 1nRNP autoantibodies, while the hY1, hY3, hY4 and hY5 scRNAs were rela ted to anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies present in sera of patients with Sys temic Lupus Erythematosus. The authors detected molecular snRNAs and s cRNAs specificities by autoantibodies in 71 sera, the molecular RNA sp ecificity for anti-gm (U1, U2, U4 and U5 snRNAs) was present in 39%; a nti-SSA/Ro sera reacted against scRNAs (hY1, hY3, hY4 and hY5) in 36%, then anti-U1nRNP sera recognized UI snRNA in 13% of sera and anti-rRN P related with rRNA were recognized in 8%. Twenty-nine SLE sera were R NA negative. A molecular characterization of the autoantibodies in ser a from SLE patients may be a useful tool for clinical and laboratory d iagnosis of SLE, and the use of autoantibodies as molecular probes all ows to continue exploring some basic mechanism of gene expression.