Antibodies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Myasthenia Gravis Which React with Thermally Denatured DNA-Coated Bentonite

Summary Sera from 66% of 35 patients with SLE flocculated bentonite particles coated with thermally denatured DNA while only 29% of these same sera flocculated bentonite particles coated with native DNA. All of these sera contained antinuclear antibody. Twenty per cent of sera from 44 patients with myasthenia gravis flocculated the bentonite particles coated with denatured DNA while none reacted with the native DNA bentonite. Thirty-seven per cent of the sera from patients with myasthenia gravis contained antinuclear antibody. Rheumatoid factor and antibodies to thyroglobulin were occasionally seen in low titer in the serum from patients with myasthenia gravis.