Differentiation of antinuclear and anticytoplasmic IgG antibodies in patients with extrinsic allergic alveolitis by immunoblot

In 15 patients diagnosed with extrinsic allergic alveolitis, IgG auto-antibodies against the antigens DFS, dsDNA, histones, Mi2a, nucleosomes, Ro 52, Rp 11, Rp 155, PCNA, PM SCL 75, PM SCL 100, and SSA could be detected by immunoblot. Antibodies against DFS, RP11, Rp155, PCNA, PM SCL 100, and Mi2a are described here for the first time for allergic alveolitis. In total, 13 autoantibodies against cellular antigens are now known to exist within allergic alveolitis. In contrast to alveolitis patients without these antibodies, patients with these autoantibodies develop a chronic course of this disease more frequently. A similar quantitative distribution of autoantibodies in the immunoblot was found in 152 control sera of patients with suspected or ruled out autoimmune interstitial lung disease.