A multidimensional autoantibody analysis specifying systemic lupus erythematosus patients with neuropsychiatric symptomatology.

Utilizing a newly perfected multiple-response permutation procedure, we analyzed the autoantibody titer of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients during active and convalescent periods of disease, SLE patients without neurological involvement, and three other comparison groups (patients with active tuberculosis, patients with multiple sclerosis, and healthy normal controls). The multidimensional analysis we used distinguished those SLE patients with neurological involvement from the other SLE patients. Differences were noted by a univariate analysis measuring antibodies to single- and double-stranded DNA, poly (G), Sm, RNP, Ro, La, and gangliosides. Elevated concentrations of the common anti-DNA idiotype 16/6 were also noted among SLE patients with neuropsychiatric illness. This report stresses that increased disease activity in SLE patients with neuropsychiatric phenomena is reflected by their autoantibody profile.