Circulating brain-reactive autoantibodies and behavioral deficits in the MRL model of CNS lupus

Brain-reactive autoantibodies (BRAA) are hypothesized to play a role in the neuropsychiatric manifestations that accompany systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The present study tests the proposed relation between circulating BRAA and behavioral deficits in lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice. Two age-matched cohorts born at different times were used to test the relationship in the context of altered disease severity. Significant correlations between autoimmunity and behavior were detected in both cohorts. These results are the first to report correlations between behavior and autoantibodies to integral membrane proteins of brain, supporting the hypothesis that BRAA contribute to the behavioral dysfunction seen in lupus.