Project description:Introduction: Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) patients often initially present with more active and severe disease than adults, including a higher frequency of lupus nephritis. Specific autoantibodies, including anti-C1q, anti-DNA and anti-alpha-actinin, have been associated with kidney involvement in SLE, and DNA antibodies are capable of initiating early stage lupus nephritis in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Over 100 different autoantibodies have been described in SLE patients, highlighting the need for comprehensive autoantibody profiling. Knowledge of the antibodies associated with pSLE and proliferative nephritis will increase the understanding of SLE pathogenesis, and may aid in monitoring patients for renal flare. Methods: We used autoantigen microarrays composed of 140 recombinant or purified antigens to compare the serum autoantibody profiles of new-onset pSLE patients (n=45) to healthy controls (n=17). We also compared pSLE patients with biopsy-confirmed class III or IV proliferative nephritis (n=23) and without significant renal involvement (n=18). We performed ELISA with selected autoantigens to validate the microarray findings. We created a multiple logistic regression model, based on the ELISA and clinical information, to predict whether a patient had proliferative nephritis, and used a validation cohort (n=23) and longitudinal samples (88 patient visits) to test its accuracy. Results: Fifty autoantibodies were at significantly higher levels in the sera of pSLE patients compared to healthy controls, including anti-B-cell activating factor (BAFF). High levels of anti-BAFF were associated with active disease. Thirteen serum autoantibodies were present at significantly higher levels in pSLE patients with proliferative nephritis than those without, and we confirmed five autoantigens (dsDNA, C1q, collagens IV & X and aggrecan) by ELISA. Our model, based on ELISA measurements and clinical variables, correctly identified patients with proliferative nephritis with 91% accuracy. Conclusions: Autoantigen microarrays are an ideal platform for identifying autoantibodies associated with both pSLE and specific clinical manifestations of pSLE. Using multiple regression analysis to integrate autoantibody and clinical data permits accurate prediction of clinical manifestations with complex etiologies in pSLE.
Project description:Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Non-Demented Control (NDC) human sera were probed onto human protein microarrays in order to identify differentially expressed autoantibody biomarkers that could be used as diagnostic indicators.
Project description:Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Non-Demented Control (NDC) human sera were probed onto human protein microarrays in order to identify differentially expressed autoantibody biomarkers that could be used as diagnostic indicators.
Project description:The goal of this study was to characterize gene expression profiles in RNP autoantibody+ SLE versus healthy blood donors with a focus on select cytokines that may be important in B cell activation and differentiation, including BAFF, IL-21, and IL-33. We utilized Affymetrix microarrays to characterize the global program of gene expression in the SLE patients, and to identify differentially expressed genes in patients compared to healthy controls. We examined a cohort of 79 consecutive patients classified as anti-ribonuclear protein (anti-RNP)+ systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). All patients provided RNA samples obtained after providing informed consent. There were 73 female and 6 male subjects. Disease duration ranged from 0 to 453 months with a median of 37.5 months. SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) ranged from 0 to 31 with a median of 6.
Project description:The goal of this study was to characterize gene expression profiles in RNP autoantibody+ SLE versus healthy blood donors with a focus on select cytokines that may be important in B cell activation and differentiation, including BAFF, IL-21, and IL-33. We utilized Affymetrix microarrays to characterize the global program of gene expression in the SLE patients, and to identify differentially expressed genes in patients compared to healthy controls. We examined a cohort of 79 consecutive patients classified as anti-ribonuclear protein (anti-RNP)+ systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). All patients provided RNA samples obtained after providing informed consent. There were 73 female and 6 male subjects. Disease duration ranged from 0 to 453 months with a median of 37.5 months. SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) ranged from 0 to 31 with a median of 6. mRNA from the blood of a SLE cohort (79 patients with some repeat visits for a total of 99 arrays) and 30 healthy volunteers (one array per volunteer) were analyzed.
Project description:Human serum samples from early-stage Parkinson's disease and non-diseased controls were probed onto human protein microarrays in order to identify differentially expressed autoantibody biomarkers that could be used as diagnostic indicators. Other neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative diseases were also used to help measure the specificity of the selected biomarkers.
Project description:Human serum samples from Alzheimer's disease driven mild cognitive impairment and non-diseased controls were probed onto human protein microarrays in order to identify differentially expressed autoantibody biomarkers that could be used as diagnostic indicators. Other neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative diseases were also used to help measure the specificity of the selected biomarkers.
Project description:Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Non-Demented Control (NDC) human sera were probed onto human protein microarrays in order to identify differentially expressed autoantibody biomarkers that could be used as diagnostic indicators. In the study presented here, 29 PD and 40 NDC human serum samples were probed onto human protein microarrays in order to identify differentially expressed autoantibodies. Microarray data was analyzed using several statistical significance algorithms, and autoantibodies that demonstrated significant group prevelance were selected as biomarkers of disease. Prediction classification analysis tested the diagnostic efficacy of the identified biomarkers; and differentiation of PD samples from other neurodegeneratively-diseased and non-neurodegeneratively-diseased controls (Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and breast cancer) confirmed their specificity.