DNA affinity column chromatography: application in the isolation of distinct antibody populations from SLE sera

An improved method was developed for purification of anti-DNA antibodies by single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) affinity column chromatography. The effectiveness of this method was examined by measuring the recoveries and purifications of various monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Results showed that this method gave good recoveries and purifications of anti-DNA antibodies. Furthermore, by this method, it was possible to isolate antibody populations with distinct specificities from polyclonal antibodies, as shown by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Therefore, this method should be useful for characterization of polyclonal antibodies in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as of autoimmune lupus mice.