Human IgG anti-DNA antibodies deposit in kidneys and induce proteinuria in SCID mice.

We investigated the capacity of five human monoclonal IgG anti-DNA antibodies derived from lupus patients to produce glomerular immune deposits. The hybridomas secreting these antibodies were administered intraperitoneally to severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Three of the five antibodies (B3, 35.21, 33.C9) were detected in the kidneys, but only one (33.C9) deposited exclusively in the glomeruli in the mesangium and capillary wall, whereas the other two antibodies bound to nuclei both in the kidney and in other organs. The antibodies were tested against a variety of autoantigens by ELISA, the only unique feature of 33.C9 was that it also bound strongly to histones. There were no particular amino acid motif that was related to immunoglobulin deposition in the kidney. All the mice that had immunoglobulin deposited in the kidney, either extracellularly or intranuclearly developed 2 to 3+ proteinuria, whereas the other mice had only trace amounts of proteinuria. This study demonstrates that some human monoclonal IgG anti-dsDNA antibodies are capable of binding to the glomerulus while others can penetrate cells and bind to nuclei in vivo. Although no abnormal pathology was observed, proteinuria was detected, perhaps representing an early phase of disease. These results indicate that the affinity for dsDNA is not the sole determining factor governing the biological properties of human anti-DNA antibodies in vivo.