Induction of antibodies reactive with SSA/Ro-SSB/La and development of congenital heart block in a murine model.

To correlate the arrhythmogenic effects of maternal autoantibodies with the genesis of congenital heart block, female BALB/c mice were immunized with human recombinant 48-kDa SSB/La, 60-kDa SSA/Ro, 52-kDa SSA/Ro (52alpha), and 52beta (amino acids 169-245 deleted) as well as with murine recombinant 52-kDa SSA/Ro. Control animals received beta-galactosidase or a polypeptide encoded by pET-28 alone. Following primary immunization and two boosters, high titer responses to the respective Ags were established by ELISA, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation.

The effects of pregnancy on autoimmune diseases.

Despite a now reasonable large body of developed information, critical gaps are apparent. Pregnancy is the only naturally occurring event in which an individual is exposed to nonself HLA. How the HLA mismatched fetus escapes rejection remains a biologic enigma.