The penetration of autoantibodies into cells may induce tolerance to self by apoptosis of autoreactive lymphocytes and cause autoimmune disease by dysregulation and/or cell damage.

Autoantibodies to intracellular constituents often occur naturally. This would be difficult to understand were they unable to penetrate live cells, as was once generally accepted; however, they can and in so doing may alter cell functions, cause damage and even kill cells by apoptosis. Different autoantibodies have different effects and in this paper, further to our previous report on the penetration of anti-DNA, the penetration of anti-RNP, which may be a possible cause of apoptosis, is demonstrated. Penetration of lymphocytes by autoantibodies may play a role in the causation of autoimmune disease, influencing immune regulation and causing cell damage either directly or through nucleosomal DNA release as a result of apoptosis. This, in turn, could also further promote antigen-driven production of anti-DNA. In addition, by causing apoptosis of autoreactive cell clones, natural autoantibodies could influence tolerance during development and also later in life, thus, paradoxically, helping prevent autoimmune disease.