Anti-DNase I antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus: diagnostic value and share in the enzyme inhibition

Diagnostic accuracy of anti-DNase I antibodies measurement in a differentiation between SLE and other autoimmune rheumatic diseases was evaluated. The share of anti-DNase I and actin in the DNase I activity decrease in SLE was established. Serum samples were obtained from 54 patients with verified SLE, 52 control patients with other autoimmune rheumatic diseases, and 44 healthy persons. Anti-DNase I concentrations were measured by ELISA. Free and actin inhibited DNase I activities were evaluated in the fresh serum samples. The appraisal of antibodies and actin effects on DNase I activity was made using multiple regression. Anti-DNase I antibodies were positive in 35 SLE and 8 control patients, without significant difference between the mean antibody concentrations. Sensitivity of this test was 64.81 %, and specificity—84.62 %. Mean free DNase I activity in SLE was somewhat lower than in the control group as a result of augmented frequency of extremely low enzyme activities. On the contrary, after the exclusion of the latter cases we have revealed elevated mean free DNase I activity in the other SLE patients comparing to the similar control subgroup. Unlike the controls, low serum DNase I activity in SLE arose not only from actin and antibody action, but also, in half of the cases, from unidentified factor, related to active SLE. The accuracy of the anti-DNase I antibodies measurement is approximate to the present reference standard of SLE diagnostics. We first demonstrated that neither antibodies nor actin caused DNase I activity decrease in SLE.