DOWN-REGULATION OF SURFACE-ANTIGENS RECOGNIZED BY SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS ANTIBODIES ON EMBRYONAL CELLS FOLLOWING DIFFERENTIATION AND EXPOSURE TO CORTICOSTEROIDS
C. Putterman et al., DOWN-REGULATION OF SURFACE-ANTIGENS RECOGNIZED BY SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS ANTIBODIES ON EMBRYONAL CELLS FOLLOWING DIFFERENTIATION AND EXPOSURE TO CORTICOSTEROIDS, European Journal of Immunology, 28(5), 1998, pp. 1656-1662
We have previously suggested that anti-DNA antibodies present in syste
mic lupus erythematosus patients can bind directly to tissues as a res
ult of cross-reactivity with embryonal tissue-based antigens. Here we
have analyzed the interaction between polyclonal and monoclonal mouse
and human lupus autoantibodies and an embryonal cell line. We report t
hat a murine embryonal stem cell line (ES) expresses a surface antigen
which is recognized by mouse and human lupus autoantibodies. This sur
face antigen is down-regulated following maturation of the cells or in
cubation with corticosteroids. Adhesion molecules may serve as the tar
get membrane antigen in ES cells since preincubation with these antibo
dies decreases the ability of ES cells to adhere to the plate.