Anti-DFS70/LEDGF Antibodies Are More Prevalent in Healthy Individuals Compared to Patients with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

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Figure 1.
Quantitative correlation between dense fine speckled antibodies (DFS70) ELISA and Quanta Flash DFS70. The results of 53 sera were used to analyze the quantitative agreement between the 2 methods and an excellent correlation was found (r = 0.91, p < 0.0001, Spearman equation). Results obtained by Quanta Flash DFS70 are expressed as relative light units (RLU).
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Figure 2.
Prevalence of anti-dense fine speckled (DFS)70 antibodies in different cohorts determined by chemiluminescence immunoassay. The prevalence of anti-DFS70 antibodies found in apparently healthy individuals and in different pathologies is given in percentages. The prevalence in apparently healthy individuals was significantly higher than in all other diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Figure 3.
Affinity purification of anti-dense fine speckled (DFS)70 antibodies from human serum. Anti-DFS70 antibodies were affinity-purified from human serum using recombinant DFS70 immobilized on a Sepharose column. Eluted fractions were characterized using the DFS70 chemiluminescence assay and 4 reactive fractions were pooled (panel a.). Indirect immunofluorescence results using the affinity-purified antibodies show typical staining pattern of anti-DFS70 antibodies (panels b. to d.). RLU: relative light units.

Table 1.

Associations of anti-DFS70/LEDGF with clinical features and other autoantibodies in SLE. Data are number (%).

Autoantibody	DFS70-negative, n = 244	DFS70-positive, n = 7
Clinical features and symptoms
Malar rash	97 (39.8)	1 (14.3)
Discoid rash	17 (7.0)	1 (14.3)
Photosensitivity	125 (51.2)	5 (71.4)
Oral ulcers	103 (42.2)	1 (14.3)
Arthritis	165 (67.6)	7 (100.0)
Pleuritis	45 (18.4)	2 (28.6)
Pericarditis	50 (20.5)	1 (14.3)
Proteinuria	67 (27.5)	0 (0.0)
Urinary cellular casts	20 (8.2)	0 (0.0)
Seizures	12 (4.9)	0 (0.0)
Psychosis	6 (2.5)	0 (0.0)
Hemolytic anemia	25 (10.2)	3 (42.9)
Leukopenia	90 (36.9)	2 (28.6)
Lymphopenia	116 (47.5)	4 (57.1)
Thrombocytopenia	34 (13.9)	1 (14.3)
Other autoantibodies
Chromatin	115 (47.1)	4 (57.1)
dsDNA	80 (32.8)	2 (28.6)
U1-RNP	92 (37.7)	3 (42.9)
Sm	41 (16.8)	1 (14.3)
SSA/Ro60	108 (44.3)	4 (57.1)
SSB/La	46 (18.9)	3 (42.9)
Anti-C1Q	64 (26.2)	3 (42.9)

DFS: dense fine speckled antibodies; LEDGF: lens epithelium-derived growth factor; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus.

Table 2.

Clinical and serological features of anti-DFS70-positive patients with SLE.

Patient Sample ID	Autoantibodies	Sex	Age, yrs	Disease Duration, yrs	Clinical Features
4	C1Q, Sm, U1RNP	F	42	19.81	MR, PS, AR, LeP, LyP, ThP
134	C1Q, chromatin, dsDNA, SSA	F	33	12.09	AR, PI, HE
159	Chromatin, SSA, SSB, RNP	F	32	0.25	AR, HE
176	C1Q, chromatin, dsDNA, SSA, SSB	F	45	0.68	PS, AR, LeP, LyP
179	Chromatin, RNP	M	32	1.02	MR, DR, PS, AR, PL, HE, LyP
196	SSA/Ro, SSB	F	52	2.67	PS, AR
197	Negative	M	65	8.57	PS, OU, AR, PeC, LyP

AR: arthritis; DR: discoid rash; HE: hemolytic anemia; LeP: leukopenia, LyP: lymphopenia; MR: malar rash; OU: oral ulcers; PS: photosensitivity; ThP: thrombocytopenia; PI: proteinuria; PL: pleuritis; PeC: pericarditis; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; DFS: dense fine speckled antibodies.