Antibodies to native and denatured collagens in sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

A passive hemagglutination akay was used to detect antibodies to native human collagens and to collagen chains in the sera of 110 rheumatoid patients and those of 75 normal controls. The incidence and titer of anticollagen antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis are high, but in controls they are low or in most instances absent. N o correlation was found between the stage of RA, or titers of rheumatoid factor, or ANA and the incidence and/or titers of antibody to any given type of collagen.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease with many features that suggest the implication of anti-

Suppression of autoimmune arthritis in interleukin‐1‐deficient mice in which T cell activation is impaired due to low levels of CD40 ligand and OX40 expression on T cells

“…Furthermore, since levels of antibody against CII have been found to correlate with the development of arthritis (14) and transfer of the antibody against CII can induce arthritis (15), most investigators believe that both cellular and humoral immunity to CII are necessary for the full development of CIA. Since antibodies against CII are also detected in humans, this model is considered to represent some aspects of the effector phase of RA (16,17).…”

Collagen antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. SIgnificance of antibodies to denatured collagen and their association with HLA‐DR4

“…Since Steffen and Timpl (1) showed, in 1963, that the antibodies to homogenates of joint capsule cartilage from RA patients were reactive with collagen, many studies have confirmed that sera from patients with RA have antibodies to a variety of collagens (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9). When tested, these antibodies have been found at higher titer in patients' synovial fluid as well (9-1 1).…”

“…These antibodies have been demonstrated to react to some degree with all types of collagen tested (9), but major interest has centered on type I collagen, which is found predominantly in skin, bone, vessels, and at joint surfaces, and type I1 collagen, which is found in hyaline cartilage. Antibodies have been shown to react with native collagens (M), denatured collagens (2), or both native and denatured collagens (3,8,9,11).…”

“…Inhibition studies have shown that sera containing high levels of reactivity to collagen contain specifically reactive antibodies (2,3,9), but RA patient sera exhibiting reactivity that is within the range of the control group have not been tested, and much of the reactivity, particularly to denatured collagen, could have been the result of nonspecific binding of IgG, rheumatoid factor, or immune complexes. However, this is unlikely since levels of reactivity to denatured collagen in our study showed no correlation with levels of rheumatoid factor or immune complexes, and sera from patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome with marked hypergammaglobulinemia and high levels of rheumatoid factor showed low reactivity.…”

“…Studies conducted during the past several years have demonstrated the presence of antibodies to collagen in the serum (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) and synovial fluid (9-1 1) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although it has not been possible to relate the presence or titer of collagen antibody to the course or severity of the disease. These studies have used a variety of collagen types as antigen, and often no distinction has been made between antibodies to native collagen and antibodies to denatured collagen.…”