High-Titer Rheumatoid Arthritis Antibodies Preferentially Bind Fibrinogen Citrullinated by Peptidylarginine Deiminase 4.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) harbor antibodies to citrullinated autoantigens such as citrullinated fibrinogen. Two isoforms of peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD), PAD type 2 (PAD2) and PAD4, which catalyze citrullination with different substrate specificities, can be detected in the synovium of RA patients. This study was undertaken to determine whether RA antibodies preferentially bind PAD2- or PAD4-citrullinated fibrinogen. METHODS:RA patient and normal donor plasma specimens were tested for binding to PAD2- or PAD4-citrullinated fibrinogen, native fibrinogen, or citrullinated fibrinogen peptides in various dilutions by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. Bands corresponding to masses demonstrating RA antibody reactivity by Western blotting were excised and analyzed by mass spectrometry. RESULTS:At low antibody titers (1:40 and 1:100), there was no significant difference between RA antibody reactivity to PAD2- and PAD4-citrullinated fibrinogen. When plasma was further diluted to 1:250 and 1:1,000, RA patient plasma bound PAD4-citrullinated fibrinogen significantly more than PAD2-citrullinated fibrinogen, as measured by ELISA and Western blotting. An increased antibody titer was associated with increased avidity for both PAD2- and PAD4-citrullinated fibrinogen. Both enzymes hypercitrullinated fibrinogen, but PAD4 citrullinated arginines more intermittently, generating a mix of citrullinated and noncitrullinated arginines. Peptide ELISA and preadsorption assays confirmed that the region of intermittent citrullination accounts for the majority of RA antibody binding to the ?-chain of citrullinated fibrinogen. CONCLUSION:At high titers, RA antibodies preferentially bind fibrinogen modified by PAD4, because intermittent citrullination offers a more diverse assortment of citrullinated epitopes.
SUBMITTER: Blachere NE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6559740 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
ACCESS DATA