Immunologically restricted and inhibitory anti-Ro/SSA in monozygotic twins

Lupus. 1997;6(4):395-8. doi: 10.1177/096120339700600409.

Abstract

A pair of monozygotic twins with Sjögren's syndrome are described who both have large amounts of anti-Ro/SSA in their sera by ELISA, but no precipitin in double immunodiffusion. Unique among previously encountered specimens, sera from the twins inhibit the formation of Ro/SSA-precipitins in double immunodiffusion by known anti-Ro/SSA positive SLE patients. The twins have near identical, clonally restricted anti-Ro/SSA autoantibodies as evaluated by isoelectric focusing and bind the same 60 kD Ro/SSA peptides. Thus, this pair of monozygotic twins has an identical fine specificity in their immune response to 60 kD Ro/SSA, despite potential differences in their immune response generated by random processes in the formation of immunoglobulin molecules and T cell receptors. These data imply that the anti-Ro/SSA found in these sera binds less than three epitopes such that soluble antigen/antibody complexes are formed instead of an insoluble complex that precipitates.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Antinuclear / blood*
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Autoantigens / immunology*
  • Diseases in Twins*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunodiffusion
  • RNA, Small Cytoplasmic*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology
  • Ribonucleoproteins / immunology*
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / genetics*
  • Sjogren's Syndrome / immunology*
  • Twins, Monozygotic

Substances

  • Antibodies, Antinuclear
  • Autoantigens
  • RNA, Small Cytoplasmic
  • RO60 protein, human
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • SS-A antigen