Anti-DNA antibodies: problems in their study and interpretation

The reaction between DNA and anti-DNA antibodies has been extensively studied in order to obtain information about the aetiology and pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and related disorders. However, the immunochemical analysis of this reaction has been very difficult due to the complexity of the autoimmune response and the unique molecular features of the DNA antigen. The production of human and mouse monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies by the hybridoma technique has simplified this analysis and opened new avenues for the study of autoantibody structure and genetics. At the same time, it has also created new problems of possible misrepresentation and unexpected cross-reactions. Therefore, special care must be exercised in the choice and performance of assay procedures and particular attention must be paid to the interpretation of experimental results.