Stefan Holdenrieder, Peter Eichhorn, Ulrich Beuers, Walter Samtleben, Ulf Schoenermarck, Reinhart Zachoval, Dorothea Nagel, Petra Stieber
The inadequate response of immune cells to circulating apoptotic products, such as nucleosomal DNA fragments, is assumed to be a potent stimulus for the production of autoantibodies during the pathogenesis and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we analyzed the levels of circulating nucleosomes, caspases, and C-reactive protein in sera of 244 individuals with various autoimmune diseases (155 with autoimmune hepatic disorders, 25 with ANCA-associated vasculitis, and 64 with various connective tissue diseases), and 32 healthy controls...
September 2006: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences