DNA-HYDROLYZING AND RNA-HYDROLYZING ANTIBODIES FROM THE BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF VIRAL-HEPATITIS

Antibodies (Abs) hydrolyzing proteins, DNA, and RNA are detected in th e blood of patients with various autoimmune diseases. In the present w ork, homogeneous preparations of Ige Abs from the blood of tile health y donors as well as patients with A, B, C, and delta types of viral he patitis, influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis, tonsillitis, duodenal ulc er, and some types of cancer ere purified, For the first time, the fra ction of IgG and its Fab fragments of patients with viral hepatitis we re shown to have high DNA- and RNA-hydrolyzing activity. In case of Ab s from the healthy donors and patients with other diseases, high activ ity of Abs was not detected. The data obtained by various methods indi cate that the activity of hepatitis Abs is an intrinsic property of th e immunoglobulins. The relative rates of hydrolysis of cCMP, poly(U). poly(A), poly(C), and tRNA(Phe) by hepatitis Abs were compared with th ose of RNase A and other RNases from human blood. Significant differen ces in activities ies of Abs and nucleases in hydrolysis of model subs trates were demonstrated. Thus, catalytically active Abs can appear in tile blood of patients not only with autoimmune disorders, but with v iral diseases as well.