Familial systemic lupus erythematosus: Evidence for separate loci controlling C4 deficiency and formation of antibodies to DNA, nRNP, Ro and La

A family has been identified in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island in which 2 sisters have systemic lupus erythematosus in a sibship of 14. Studies are reported on 11 of the siblings and 16 other family members. The affected siblings, and 4 other members of their sibship, are halfnull homozygotes for the C4A component of complement. We studied the distribution in family members of antibodies to ss and dsDNA, and to Ro(SSA), La(SSB), Sm and nRNP. Eight of 11 members of the affected sibship are antibody producers, compared to only 3 of 13 members of the parental generation. Our study provides further evidence of an association between null genes for C4A and familial lupus, and suggests, in an unusually large kindred, that several other genetic factors are involved in the production of antinuclear antibodies.