Demonstration of beta 1H globulin together with C3 in the dermal-epidermal junction of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Skin lesions and clinically normal skin from 10 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were examined by immunofluorescence for the presence of C3 and its control protein, beta 1H globulin. beta 1Hwas always found in association with deposited C3; in the instance where C3 deposits were not found beta 1H was also not found. Granular deposits of C3 and beta 1H were found in the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) in all of the 5 nonlesional skins studied. In the lesional skin, C3 was found in 4 of 5; in 2 of these 4, beta 1H was also found. As previously demonstrated for in vitro systems, beta 1H also binds in vivo to fragments of C3, presumably C3b, generated during activation of the complement system.