Elevated levels of dsDNA-, Sm-, SSA/Ro- and SSB/La-specific IgE antibodies in SLE subjects versus healthy controls.

A. Relative levels from a combined analysis of the US and French SLE cohorts for IgE antibody levels to the four aforementioned antigens. Mann Whitney test was used to compare the different groups. Mean ± SEM is shown. AU, Arbitrary Units. **p<0.01; ****p<0.0001. B. Prevalence of IgE autoantibodies to the aforementioned four common SLE autoantigens. Percentage of patients positive for IgE autoantibodies (2SD over the mean of healthy controls) to at least one of the four autoantigens tested. dsDNA-specific IgE (as the most prevalent autoreactive IgE) was used as the reference. The percent of anti-Sm IgE positive individuals are those without dsDNA-IgE, percent of anti-SSA/Ro positive individuals are without dsDNA- and Sm-IgE’s, and anti-SSB/La positive individuals are those without dsDNA, Sm and SSA/Ro reactivties. Therefore, patients in the group of those positive for anti-dsDNA IgE were also positive for the rest of IgE autoantibodies tested, but none of the subjects in the anti-SSB/La IgE positive group had detectable IgE autoantibodies for dsDNA, Sm, or SSA/Ro.