Anti-DNA antibodies and lupus nephritis: the complexity of crossreactivity.

It has been suggested that crossreactivity of anti-DNA antibodies plays a central role in the development of lupus nephritis. Experiments with monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies initially seemed to sustain this intriguing hypothesis but such studies may easily lead to incorrect conclusions. In this short article, Kees Brinkman and colleagues discuss the validity of these studies and challenge the role of crossreactivity in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis.