Clinical Chemistry, Vol 35, 2190-2195, Copyright © 1989 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Autoantibodies to lactate dehydrogenase in serum identified by use of immobilized protein G and immobilized jacalin, a jackfruit lectin

ET Backer and GA Harff
Department of Clinical Chemistry, Het Diaconessenhuis, Leiden, The Netherlands.

In this method for identifying autoantibodies to lactate dehydrogenase (anti-LDs) in serum, we used immobilized Protein G to bind IgG- complexed LD and immobilized jacalin to bind IgA-complexed LD, leaving non-complexed LD in solution. The non-complexed LD and total LD were kinetically measured. We report results as LD bound to immobilized Protein G and LD bound to immobilized jacalin. Using sera demonstrating IgG and IgA anti-LDs by immunoelectrophoresis (IEP), respectively, we optimized the method for incubation time and concentration of binding agents. We demonstrated concomitant binding of LD and greater than or equal to 98% of IgG and of LD and greater than or equal to 92% of IgA. For LD bound to immunobilized Protein G the detection limit was 10 U/L, within- and between-run CVs ranged from 2.9% to 9.1%, and values for normal sera were less than or equal to 3% of total LD. Results for LD bound to immobilized jacalin were similar. We tested 10 sera displaying aberrant LD electrophoretograms: In seven, LD bound to immobilized Protein G was increased (range: 26-99% of total LD), indicating IgG- complexed LD. This was confirmed by IEP, demonstrating IgG1,2, or IgG3 anti-LDs in these sera. In the other three sera, LD bound to immobilized jacalin was increased (range: 38-72% of total LD), indicating IgA-complexed LD. This was confirmed by IEP, demonstrating IgA anti-LDs in these sera. Evidently this method is an alternative to IEP for identifying anti-LDs in serum.