Virus antibody levels in systemic lupus erythematosus

Antibody titers to a group of viral antigens have been determined in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), control groups with inflammatory diseases and normals. Mean titers in SLE sera for all viruses tested were significantly greater than in four control groups, but not greater than in active tuberculosis, both by the complement‐fixation (CF) and hemagglutination‐inhibition (HI) methods. By the CF method, only measles virus showed significantly higher titers in SLE than in all control groups; by the HI method, measles antibody titers were higher in SLE than in all groups but tuberculosis. There was no correlation between antibody titers and gammaglobulin levels. The results indicated a moderate though variable overall hypereactivity in SLE to the viral antigens tested.