Anticytoskeletal autoantibodies in the connective tissue diseases

Abstract

The sera of 103 patients with connective tissue diseases were studied for the presence of anticytoskeletal antibodies by using an indirect immunofluorescence method. PTK2 cells fixed with paraformaldehyde and digitonin were used as substrate. Antibodies to intermediate filaments were detected in sera of 85.7% of polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PMIDM), 62.8% of systemic sclerosis, 54.5% of rheumatoid arthritis, and 37.5% of systemic lupus erythematosus patients, and in 42.5% of normal sera. High titers of these antibodies, which were IgM, were present in 30% of patients' and 5% of normal sera. Antibodies to microfilaments were present in 11.6% of patients' sera and absent in all control sera. These antibodies were IgM or IgG. The switch from an IgM to an IgG antibody was observed in 1 patient. An IgG antibody to the spindle poles and midbody of mitotic cells was present in the serum of 1

Identification of HLA-DR–bound peptides presented by human bronchoalveolar lavage cells in sarcoidosis

“…Levels of anti-vimentin antibodies were previously shown to be significantly higher in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia than in healthy controls (23). Vimentin has also been described as an autoantigen in rheumatic disease (14)(15)(16). Interestingly, it has been reported that pulmonary fibrosis is more common in RA patients who have anti-vimentin antibodies (24).…”

Antineurofilament antibody evaluation in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

“…The neuronal cell intermediate filament or neurofilament is composed of 3 separate polypeptides of molecular weights 205, 160, and 70 kd (14,15). Studies indicating an increased incidence of antineurofilament antibodies (ANFA) in viral infections of the CNS (16) and in paraneoplastic neurologic disease (17,18), as well as recent work indicating an increased incidence of anticytoskeletal antibodies in connective tissue disease (19), have provided the primary focus of our study, which is to examine the occurrence and titer of ANFA in patients with NPSLE.…”

Anticytoskeletal autoantibody to microfilament anchorage sites recognizes novel focal contact proteins.

“…Autoantibodies to centrioles and to centrosomes have also been described (39)(40)(41). In addition, we have previously reported in serum from a patient with CREST an autoantibody to the mitotic spindle poles and midbody (20,21). However further study of a larger group of patients will be required to determine if anti-MFAS is specific for systemic sclerosis.…”

“…We have used previously indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis to identify anticytoskeletal autoantibodies in human sera (6,(19)(20)(21) (17,22), who also provided chicken gizzard a-actinin and rabbit anti-beef heart a-actinin (13,23 Preparation ofcells, cytoskeletal extracts, and tissuesfor electrophoresis. PtK2 cells were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing a mixture of protease inhibitors (2.5 mg/ml leupeptin, 2.5 mg/ml aprotinin, 100 mM benzamidine, 50 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride [PMSF], and 1.0 mg/ml pepstatin) diluted 100-fold (25).…”