Autoantibodies to CD45 in systemic lupus erythematosus

Western blotting with U937 cell extracts as the substrate, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with U937-, Jurkat- and Daudi cell-purified CD45 molecules were used to detect anti-CD45 reactivity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). By immunoblotting, 16 of 64 SLE sera were shown to be positive (25.0%). In the ELISAs, 13 out of 18 SLE sera reacted with the target CD45. Of these, three were not detectable on the blot. Importantly, 12 of these ELISA-positive sera contained IgM and IgG auto-antibodies. Neuraminidase-treatment of U937-precipitated CD45 molecules enhanced the reactivity to most of the isoforms, indicating that the antibodies may bind to asialylated polysaccharides.