Clinical features of Sjogren's syndrome patients with autoantibodies against interferons.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune attack on the salivary and lacrimal glands. Given the known cytokine activation and type I interferon gene expression signature found in SS, we hypothesized that anticytokine autoantibodies might be detectable by Luciferase immunoprecipitation systems in some SS patients and correlate with clinical symptoms. RESULTS:Luciferase immunoprecipitation systems was used to screen for serum anti-cytokine autoantibodies in 57 primary SS patients and 25 healthy volunteers. Autoantibodies were detected against GMCSF, interferon-?, -? and, -? in one, two, two and six patients with SS, respectively. None of the healthy volunteers showed anticytokine autoantibodies and none of the SS or control subjects showed autoantibodies against interferon-?. One 51-year old female SS subject with the highest anti-interferon-? and -? autoantibody levels had stable autoantibody levels over the course of a year. In vitro functional testing of serum autoantibodies from this subject demonstrated partially neutralizing activity for interferon-? signaling. Clinical information on this individual revealed a low focus score and high levels of unstimulated salivary flow, suggesting the possibility that interferon-? autoantibody neutralizing activity may have contributed to the milder sicca symptoms. CONCLUSION:Overall, these findings demonstrate that a subset of SS patients (16%) harbor autoantibodies against GMCSF, interferon-?, interferon-?, and interferon-?. These data support the observation that high levels of interferon-? autoantibodies may attenuate disease symptoms in SS.

SUBMITTER: Burbelo PD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6314934 | biostudies-other | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other