Immunoglobulin allotypes are not associated with HLA-antigens, autoantibodies and clinical symptoms in systemic lupus erythematosus. Members of the SLE Study Group.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain (G1m, G2m, G3m, A2m) and kappa light chain (Km) allotype and phenotype frequencies of 323 central European Caucasian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were examined and correlated with various genetic, serologic and clinical markers of SLE. No significant associations were found between immunoglobulin allotypes or phenotypes and all 20 parameters tested (nephritis, vasculitis, arthralgias, photosensitivity, discoid lesions, central nervous system disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, sex, anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-nRNP, HLA-DR1-DR7, HLA phenotypes B8-DR3, B7-DR2). It could therefore be assumed that Gm, A2m and Km allotypes were not associated with HLA-antigens and had no influence on the serologic and clinical expression of SLE.