Neonatal lupus erythematosus. Report of serological and immunogenetic studies in twins discordant for congenital heart block.

Autoantibody, HLA studies and C4 phenotypes were performed on twins discordant for isolated congenital heart block. Serum from the mother and cord blood from the infants revealed Ro(SSA) and La(SSB) antibodies in all three sera. No significant difference in Ro(SSA) antibody titre was noted in the cord blood of either twin when compared with maternal titres, as detected by a sensitive ELISA assay.

CENP-C, an autoantigen in scleroderma, is a component of the human inner kinetochore plate.

We have isolated and characterized a set of overlapping cDNA clones that encode the human centromere autoantigen centromere protein C (CENP-C). The identity of these clones has been established using several criteria. First, they were shown to encode a polypeptide that migrates at the expected position for CENP-C on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Detection of anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies by gel double diffusion and a 'sandwich' ELISA in systemic and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome.

A newly described Ro 'sandwich' ELISA was compared to the gel double diffusion technique to detect anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies in Sjögren's syndrome, systemic and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus patients. This study demonstrates that the ELISA assay increased the frequency of detection of anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies in these well defined connective tissue disease patients by approximately 5-10% compared to the gel double diffusion anti-Ro(SSA) antibody assay. The study also confirms that some patients make anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies directed solely at unique human Ro(SSA) antigen epitopes.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus. An autoimmune mucocutaneous disease associated with neoplasia.

Background And Methods: We describe five patients with underlying neoplasms in whom painful mucosal ulcerations and polymorphous skin lesions developed, usually with progression to blistering eruptions on the trunk and extremities. Histologic examination showed vacuolization of epidermal basal cells, keratinocyte necrosis, and acantholysis. Immunofluorescence testing revealed atypical pemphigus-like autoantibodies in perilesional epithelium and serum from all five patients.

Isolation of a human epidermal cDNA corresponding to the 180-kD autoantigen recognized by bullous pemphigoid and herpes gestationis sera. Immunolocalization of this protein to the hemidesmosome.

Autoantibodies present in the sera of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) bind to the basement membrane zone of normal human skin and commonly recognize two epidermal proteins, the BP240 and BP180 antigens. Two BP antigen cDNA clones from a lambda gt11 human keratinocyte library have been identified on the basis of reactivity with a BP serum. The fusion protein (FP) produced by one clone immunoadsorbed autoantibodies, which specifically recognized the BP180 by antigen, showing no cross-reactivity with BP240 by immunoblot analysis.