autoreactive antibodies

[Thomas B. Kepler]

In article <1993Mar4.173539.6783 at news.stolaf.edu>, bell at mari.acc-admin.stolaf.edu (David E Bell) writes:
|> 
|> The problem:
|> Especially in LE all people are speaking of ab against dna. But dna is normally
|> inside the cell and not presented on the surface ! ...

Furthermore, DNA is not a polypeptide and so there is no reason to believe that it 
can be presented to T cells, even though the anti-DNA response is T dependent.  
Some clues may be found in Diamond et al. (1992) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10:731-57, in 
which they write, e.g., "The association of anti-dsDNA antibodies with renal disease 
may merely reflect their reactivity with poly-anionic molecules in the basement membrane 
of the glomeruli..."  

	Any other ideas out there?

Tom Kepler