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A human rheumatoid factor C304 shares VH and VL gene usage with antibodies specific for ubiquitous human viral
J D Rioux1, J Rauch, L Silvestri
1Department of Medicine, Montréal General Hospital Research Institute, McGill University, Canada.
Abstract:
Analysis of the variable region gene sequences of a human hybridoma rheumatoid factor (RF), derived from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), revealed the expression of genes from the V lambda I and VH3 families. Specifically, the C304 RF had rearranged the DPL8/Humlv1042 and VH26 germline VL and VH genes, respectively. This gene usage has been observed in the rearrangement of human anti-viral antibodies specific for the herpes group of viruses. This overlap between the autoimmune and anti-viral antibody gene repertoires suggests a possible structural relationship between the immune response directed against ubiquitous pathogens and the induction of RF production.