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Various catalytic antibodies or abzymes have been detected recently in the sera of patients with several autoimmune pathologies, where their presence is most probably associated with autoimmunization. Recently we have shown that DNase activity is associated with IgGs from the sera of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but not with those from the sera of normal humans. Here we present evidence showing that MS IgG, its F(ab) fragments, and separated L-chains catalyze DNA hydrolysis. The properties of the DNase activity of these polyclonal IgGs distinguish them from other known human DNases. In addition, their specific activities with different oligonucleotide substrates and the range of optimal pHs, apparent K(M) values and substrate specificities varied widely for different patients. The findings speak in favor of the generation by the immune systems of individual patients of a variety of polyclonal catalytic IgG pools, from relatively small to extremely large ones.

The contents of class 1 HLA antigens was compared in patients with disseminated sclerosis, their first-grade relatives and healthy donors. Patients, as compared to healthy persons, had higher occurrence rate of A1, A9, B7, A0/B0, A9/B7, A1/B7, A1/B12, A2/B7, B7, 27, B5, 0, B7, 12, B7, 15, B5, 7, and lower A28, B13, Bw22, B35, 40, B7, 35, A2, w19, A0/B35, A0/B13, A2/B15, A3/B35. In male patients, as compared to female patients, B40 and A1/B15 were more frequent, and B12 less frequent. The subgroup of patients with the diseases onset before 20 years considerably differed from other patients in their rates of A1, A1, 2, A1w19, A1/B0 increased and A3 and A9/B17 decreased. Compared to donor group, the patients' relatives had differences similar to those between patients and relatives. High relative risk values were characteristic of some of the above associations.

HLA antigens were compared in groups of patients with disseminated sclerosis and healthy donors. In remission group as compared with controls, increased were the rates of A9, B7, B13, B35, A0/B17, A1/B7, A9/B7, A3/B35, A11/B7, A11/B8, B5, B7, 15, and in the progredient group--B7, Bw22, B35, A1/B7, A2/B7, A2/B35, A9/B7, B7, 12. These groups were different only in A11/B7 rates. Remitting and progredient course of the disease in women differed in A3 and A10 rates, in men in A2 and A11. In men with remitting course the A2 antigen rate was substantially lower than in any other group. With respect to the disease duration and the degree of patients's invalidization, the groups of benign, malignant, and intermediate course were singled out differing from each other and controls also in their HLA composition.

The relative levels of autoantibodies to native and denatured DNA (nDNA and dDNA, respectively) in the blood were compared in 55 patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Compared to healthy donors, the titers of antibodies (Ab) to nDNA and dDNA were significantly higher in 31% and 40% of TBE patients, respectively. The proportion of patients with an increased concentration of anti-nDNA Ab in the case of TBE (32%) was higher than among patients with multiple sclerosis (18%) and some other autoimmune diseases (6–18%) but comparable with that among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (38%) and polymyositis (42%). In contrast to the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis, the level of antibodies to nDNA in TBE patients was higher than that of anti-dDNA Ab. The coefficients of correlation between the levels of Ab to nDNA and dDNA were estimated for the entire group of TBE patients and for subgroups with different forms of the disease (temperature reactions, febrile form, and meningeal form). Analysis of correlation between the anti-DNA antibody titers and three standard biochemical markers of TBE (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities and total bilirubin) was carried out for 22 patients. A statistically significant correlation was revealed only between the level of Ab to nDNA and the marker enzyme activities, with the respective correlation coefficients being +0.44 and +0.48, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]