A fluorimetric assay for human antibodies to all the histones.

We describe a fluorescence immunoassay for anti-histone antibodies in human sera. Histones are bound to immobilised tyrosine-glutamic acid copolymer on a polystyrene cuvette. With mixed histones as antigen normal sera showed low levels of antibody binding. Much higher values were obtained with some sera from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients positive for antinuclear antibodies, and from patients with vasculitic RA, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and drug induced LE. Antibodies to all 5 individual histones were elevated in SLE and vasculitic RA patients. Preliminary results suggest that differences in response patterns may be disease related.