Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease with multifactorial ethiopathogenesis. The complement system is involved in both the early and late stages of disease development and organ damage. To better understand autoantibody mediated complement consumption the GAPAID consortium examined ex vivo immune complex formation on autoantigen arrays. We recruited patients with SLE (n=211), with other systemic autoimmune diseases (n=65) and non-autoimmune control subjects (n=149) in two rheumatology tertiary care centers. Standard clinical and laboratory data were collected from all subjects and serum complement levels were determined in SLE patients. The genotype of SNP rs1143679 in the ITGAM gene was also determined. On-chip formation of immune complexes was examined using a functional immunoassay on autoantigen microarray. The amount of antigen-bound IgM, IgG and complement C4 and C3 was quantified on autoantigens comprising nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Our results show that the relatively high complement consumption of nucleic acids is further increased upon binding of IgM and IgG. This is true even when serum complement levels are decreased due to complement consumption in SLE patients. A negative correlation between serum complement levels and ex vivo complement deposition on nucleic acid autoantigens is demonstrated. On the contrary, most protein and lipid autoantigens show positive correlation with C4 and C3 levels. Genetic analysis reveals that the non-synonymous variant rs1143679 in complement receptor type 3 is associated with an increased production of anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies. Notwithstanding, homozygous carriers of the previously reported susceptible allele (AA) have lower levels of dsDNA specific IgM among SLE patients. Regarding organ involvement we find that besides anti-C1q IgG, low levels of dsDNA specific IgM and low complement C4 binding to C1q are also associated with renal injury. In summary, nucleic acids maintain a skewed complement deposition balance when bound by IgG and IgM, depleting the early classical complement pathway from other physiological processes. Dysfunction of the receptor responsible for complement-mediated apoptotic debris removal promotes the development of autoantibodies targeting nucleic acids. These observations provide serological and genetic evidence for complement-mediated clearance deficiency of apoptotic debris in lupus.
Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease with multifactorial ethiopathogenesis. The complement system is involved in both the early and late stages of disease development and organ damage. To better understand autoantibody mediated complement consumption the GAPAID consortium examined ex vivo immune complex formation on autoantigen arrays. We recruited patients with SLE (n=211), with other systemic autoimmune diseases (n=65) and non-autoimmune control subjects (n=149) in two rheumatology tertiary care centers. Standard clinical and laboratory data were collected from all subjects and serum complement levels were determined in SLE patients. The genotype of SNP rs1143679 in the ITGAM gene was also determined. On-chip formation of immune complexes was examined using a functional immunoassay on autoantigen microarray. The amount of antigen-bound IgM, IgG and complement C4 and C3 was quantified on autoantigens comprising nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Our results show that the relatively high complement consumption of nucleic acids is further increased upon binding of IgM and IgG. This is true even when serum complement levels are decreased due to complement consumption in SLE patients. A negative correlation between serum complement levels and ex vivo complement deposition on nucleic acid autoantigens is demonstrated. On the contrary, most protein and lipid autoantigens show positive correlation with C4 and C3 levels. Genetic analysis reveals that the non-synonymous variant rs1143679 in complement receptor type 3 is associated with an increased production of anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies. Notwithstanding, homozygous carriers of the previously reported susceptible allele (AA) have lower levels of dsDNA specific IgM among SLE patients. Regarding organ involvement we find that besides anti-C1q IgG, low levels of dsDNA specific IgM and low complement C4 binding to C1q are also associated with renal injury. In summary, nucleic acids maintain a skewed complement deposition balance when bound by IgG and IgM, depleting the early classical complement pathway from other physiological processes. Dysfunction of the receptor responsible for complement-mediated apoptotic debris removal promotes the development of autoantibodies targeting nucleic acids. These observations provide serological and genetic evidence for complement-mediated clearance deficiency of apoptotic debris in lupus.
Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease with multifactorial ethiopathogenesis. The complement system is involved in both the early and late stages of disease development and organ damage. To better understand autoantibody mediated complement consumption the GAPAID consortium examined ex vivo immune complex formation on autoantigen arrays. We recruited patients with SLE (n=211), with other systemic autoimmune diseases (n=65) and non-autoimmune control subjects (n=149) in two rheumatology tertiary care centers. Standard clinical and laboratory data were collected from all subjects and serum complement levels were determined in SLE patients. The genotype of SNP rs1143679 in the ITGAM gene was also determined. On-chip formation of immune complexes was examined using a functional immunoassay on autoantigen microarray. The amount of antigen-bound IgM, IgG and complement C4 and C3 was quantified on autoantigens comprising nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Our results show that the relatively high complement consumption of nucleic acids is further increased upon binding of IgM and IgG. This is true even when serum complement levels are decreased due to complement consumption in SLE patients. A negative correlation between serum complement levels and ex vivo complement deposition on nucleic acid autoantigens is demonstrated. On the contrary, most protein and lipid autoantigens show positive correlation with C4 and C3 levels. Genetic analysis reveals that the non-synonymous variant rs1143679 in complement receptor type 3 is associated with an increased production of anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies. Notwithstanding, homozygous carriers of the previously reported susceptible allele (AA) have lower levels of dsDNA specific IgM among SLE patients. Regarding organ involvement we find that besides anti-C1q IgG, low levels of dsDNA specific IgM and low complement C4 binding to C1q are also associated with renal injury. In summary, nucleic acids maintain a skewed complement deposition balance when bound by IgG and IgM, depleting the early classical complement pathway from other physiological processes. Dysfunction of the receptor responsible for complement-mediated apoptotic debris removal promotes the development of autoantibodies targeting nucleic acids. These observations provide serological and genetic evidence for complement-mediated clearance deficiency of apoptotic debris in lupus.
Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease with multifactorial ethiopathogenesis. The complement system is involved in both the early and late stages of disease development and organ damage. To better understand autoantibody mediated complement consumption the GAPAID consortium examined ex vivo immune complex formation on autoantigen arrays. We recruited patients with SLE (n=211), with other systemic autoimmune diseases (n=65) and non-autoimmune control subjects (n=149) in two rheumatology tertiary care centers. Standard clinical and laboratory data were collected from all subjects and serum complement levels were determined in SLE patients. The genotype of SNP rs1143679 in the ITGAM gene was also determined. On-chip formation of immune complexes was examined using a functional immunoassay on autoantigen microarray. The amount of antigen-bound IgM, IgG and complement C4 and C3 was quantified on autoantigens comprising nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Our results show that the relatively high complement consumption of nucleic acids is further increased upon binding of IgM and IgG. This is true even when serum complement levels are decreased due to complement consumption in SLE patients. A negative correlation between serum complement levels and ex vivo complement deposition on nucleic acid autoantigens is demonstrated. On the contrary, most protein and lipid autoantigens show positive correlation with C4 and C3 levels. Genetic analysis reveals that the non-synonymous variant rs1143679 in complement receptor type 3 is associated with an increased production of anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies. Notwithstanding, homozygous carriers of the previously reported susceptible allele (AA) have lower levels of dsDNA specific IgM among SLE patients. Regarding organ involvement we find that besides anti-C1q IgG, low levels of dsDNA specific IgM and low complement C4 binding to C1q are also associated with renal injury. In summary, nucleic acids maintain a skewed complement deposition balance when bound by IgG and IgM, depleting the early classical complement pathway from other physiological processes. Dysfunction of the receptor responsible for complement-mediated apoptotic debris removal promotes the development of autoantibodies targeting nucleic acids. These observations provide serological and genetic evidence for complement-mediated clearance deficiency of apoptotic debris in lupus.
Project description:Pathogenic autoantibodies can cause inflammation and tissue injury in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although IgG4 is considered non-inflammatory owing to the unique structure of its hinge region, the role of IgG4 autoantibodies in SLE remains largely unknown. The titers of serum anti-nuclear-IgG antibodies (ANA-IgG) and anti-nuclear-IgG4 antibodies (ANA-IgG4) in newly diagnosed SLE patients were detected. The effects of IgG4 purified from SLE patients (SLE IgG4) and healthy controls on complement consumption and inflammatory cytokine production were evaluated in vitro. The therapeutic effects of mouse IgG1 (functionally resembles human IgG4) purified from lupus-prone MRL-lpr/lpr mice (lupus IgG1) and control mice on disease progression were examined in MRL-lpr/lpr mice. The results showed that SLE patients with equal titers of total serum ANA-IgG (1:3,200) were divided into group I with lower ANA-IgG4 titers (≤ 1:10) and group II with higher ANA-IgG4 titers (≥ 1:100), and disease activity, inflammatory cytokine production, complement consumption, and renal-function parameters in group I SLE patients were more severe than those in group II. Further, compared with control IgG4, SLE IgG4 inhibited complement consumption by autoantibody-autoantigen immune complexes, and also inhibited inflammatory cytokines production by SLE PBMCs in vitro. Moreover, compared with control IgG1, lupus IgG1 exhibited a therapeutic effect on lupus by attenuating disease progression in MRL-lpr/lpr mice. These findings, for the first time, suggest that IgG4 autoantibodies can attenuate SLE progression by suppressing complement consumption and inflammatory cytokine production. Hence, this study may provide novel therapeutic strategies against SLE and other autoimmune diseases.
Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is progressive, immune complex-mediated autoimmune disease targeting numerous organs. A central feature of the disease is the development of antibodies against nuclear components, including DNA. Antibodies against double-stranded DNA are so characteristic of this disease that their detection constitutes one of the criteria for diagnosis. We examined the formation of immune complexes on the surface of autoantigen microarrays incubated in the sera of 39 inactive and 22 active lupus patients and of 31 control subjects. Three different kinds of nucleic acids, dsDNA, ssDNA and RNA were used as antigens, along with chromatin (nucleosomal extract) and several other reference molecules. The composition with respect to IgG, IgM and complement components C3 and C4 was determined. We find that while IgM and C4 are physiological components of immune complexes formed from nucleic acids, both IgG and C3 are extremely characteristic of lupus patients. Complement C4 deposition changes were not consistent: these increased on ssDNA and RNA, decreased on chromatin and did not change significantly on dsDNA. The presence of IgG and C3 in the immune complexes formed from different nucleic acids was characteristic for both active and inactive lupus patients. Receiver-operating curve statistics indicate that C3 deposition measurements can improve the efficiency of identification of inactive lupus patients. These observations reveal the complexity of immune profile changes accompanying SLE. C3, IgM, C4 and IgG binding in 92 human serum samples were examined using custom-made protein arrays
Project description:Systemic lupus erythematosus is progressive, immune complex-mediated autoimmune disease targeting numerous organs. A central feature of the disease is the development of antibodies against nuclear components, including DNA. Antibodies against double-stranded DNA are so characteristic of this disease that their detection constitutes one of the criteria for diagnosis. We examined the formation of immune complexes on the surface of autoantigen microarrays incubated in the sera of 39 inactive and 22 active lupus patients and of 31 control subjects. Three different kinds of nucleic acids, dsDNA, ssDNA and RNA were used as antigens, along with chromatin (nucleosomal extract) and several other reference molecules. The composition with respect to IgG, IgM and complement components C3 and C4 was determined. We find that while IgM and C4 are physiological components of immune complexes formed from nucleic acids, both IgG and C3 are extremely characteristic of lupus patients. Complement C4 deposition changes were not consistent: these increased on ssDNA and RNA, decreased on chromatin and did not change significantly on dsDNA. The presence of IgG and C3 in the immune complexes formed from different nucleic acids was characteristic for both active and inactive lupus patients. Receiver-operating curve statistics indicate that C3 deposition measurements can improve the efficiency of identification of inactive lupus patients. These observations reveal the complexity of immune profile changes accompanying SLE.
Project description:The mitochondrion supplies energy to the cell and regulates apoptosis. Unlike other mammalian organelles, mitochondria are formed by binary fission and cannot be directly produced by the cell. They contain numerous copies of a compact circular genome that encodes RNA molecules and proteins involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Whereas, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) activates the innate immune system if present in the cytosol or the extracellular milieu, it is also the target of circulating autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it is not known whether mitochondrial RNA is also recognized by autoantibodies in SLE. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of autoantibodies targeting mitochondrial RNA (AmtRNA) in SLE. We quantified AmtRNA in an inducible model of murine SLE. The AmtRNA were also determined in SLE patients and healthy volunteers. AmtRNA titers were measured in both our induced model of murine SLE and in human SLE, and biostatistical analyses were performed to determine whether the presence and/or levels of AmtRNA were associated with clinical features expressed by SLE patients. Both IgG and IgM classes of AmtRNA were increased in SLE patients (n = 86) compared to healthy controls (n = 30) (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0493, respectively). AmtRNA IgG levels correlated with anti-mtDNA-IgG titers (r s = 0.54, p < 0.0001) as well as with both IgG and IgM against β-2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI; r s = 0.22, p = 0.05), and AmtRNA-IgG antibodies were present at higher levels when patients were positive for autoantibodies to double-stranded-genomic DNA (p < 0.0001). AmtRNA-IgG were able to specifically discriminate SLE patients from healthy controls, and were negatively associated with plaque formation (p = 0.04) and lupus nephritis (p = 0.03). Conversely, AmtRNA-IgM titers correlated with those of anti-β2GPI-IgM (r s = 0.48, p < 0.0001). AmtRNA-IgM were higher when patients were positive for anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL-IgG: p = 0.01; aCL-IgM: p = 0.002), but AmtRNA-IgM were not associated with any of the clinical manifestations assessed. These findings identify mtRNA as a novel mitochondrial antigen target in SLE, and support the concept that mitochondria may provide an important source of circulating autoantigens in SLE.
Project description:Objectives: Autoantibodies and aberrant immune complexes are pathological hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to determine the occurrence of IgG autoantibodies against human serum albumin (anti-HSA IgG) and their potential association with antibodies against bovine serum albumin (anti-BSA IgG) in patients with SLE. Methods: Sera of 180 SLE patients included to the Swiss SLE Cohort Study and 188 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were evaluated. Levels of anti-HSA IgG and anti-BSA IgG were quantified by ELISA. Selected samples were further characterized using serum fractions obtained by fast liquid chromatography (FPLC). Results: SLE patients had increased levels of anti-HSA IgG (p = 0.002) but similar levels of anti-BSA IgG compared to matched healthy controls. Anti-HSA IgG levels correlated with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), which was more pronounced in patients with an physician's global assessment (PGA) of ? 1 (r = 0.309, p = 0.0066). Anti-HSA IgG was partially complexed with serum albumin but also occurred as monomeric autoantibodies in highly positive SLE patients. A positive correlation between anti-HSA IgG and anti-BSA IgG was found that was stronger in SLE patients than in healthy controls (r = 0.3172, p < 0.001 vs. r = 0.2122, p < 0.0035). Binding of anti-BSA IgG was inhibited partially in the presence of HSA in samples with double positivity for anti-HSA and anti-BSA (median inhibition 47.9%, range 0.9-100%) and vice versa. Conclusion: In SLE patients there is an increased prevalence of anti-HSA IgG antibodies that are associated with SLE disease activity.