Antibodies to DNA in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis

It has been suggested that antibodies to native DNA occur with some frequency in patients treated by hemodialysis. This has been attributed to the use of the technique. We have investigated 48 patients on maintenance dialysis for the presence of antibodies to single stranded DNA (ss-DNA) and native DNA (n-DNA) compared to a control group of 25 nondialyzed patients with renal disease. In neither group of patients were antibodies to ss-DNA detected frequently. Antibodies to n-DNA were present in three of the dialyzed patients and in none of the control group. The frequency of antibodies in dialysis patients was insignificant in comparison to the same control group of non-dialyzed renal patients. There was no correlation between duration of dialysis and development of antibodies. A drug-induced lupus state is possible, but not established for two of the three patients on dialysis.