[Anti-deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies in podagra]

Antibodies to native (n) and denatured (d) DNA were studied in 70 patients with primary gout and 40 experimental animals with hyperuricemia. Titres of anti-nDNA in patients with gout considerably exceeded similar indices in donors and were in inverse relationship with the severity of arthritis and markedness of morphological manifestations of renal affection. Anti-nDNA directly correlated with the count of B-lymphocytes in the blood and indirectly with other immunological indices. Anti-dDNA directly correlated with the count of B-cells, reaction of lymphocytes to Kon-A and the titres of antirenal antibodies but were in inverse relationship with the content of uric acid and IgG in the blood serum. Long-term feeding of rats with yeast autolysate with ammonium molybdate and inosine was accompanied by the development of hyperuricemia, an abrupt drop in the level of DNA in the plasma and by a rise in the level of anti-DNA antibodies.