Antibodies to human cytomegalovirus protein UL83 in systemic sclerosis

Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology

M. Kuwana¹  K.M. Rocca¹  J.P. Pandey¹  A.M. Namboodiri¹ 

关键词: Scleroderma;    diffuse;    limited;    humoral immunity;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：医学（综合）

来源: Pacini Editore SpA

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVES:To determine whether elevated levels of antibodies to HCMV protein UL83 were present in patients with SSc and if their prevalence was associated with major SSc-associated autoantibodies.METHODS:The study population consisted of 253 Caucasian subjects (110 SSc patients and 143 controls). IgG antibodies to UL83 were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies to centromere and RNA polymerase (RNAP) were determined by indirect immunofluorescence and immnoprecipitation methods, respectively.RESULTS:The mean level of anti-UL83 antibodies in the sera of SSc patients as a whole was significantly higher than that in control subjects (14.75 vs 10.6 units/µl, p = 0.002). Both subgroups of patients contributed to this variation: compared to controls, anti-UL83 antibody levels were higher in diffuse (16.32 vs 10.6 units/µl, p = 0.012) as well as in those with the limited form of the disease (13.95 vs 10.6 units/µl, p = 0.015). Anti-UL83 antibodies were not associated with major SSc associated autoantibodies.CONCLUSIONS:Humoral immunity to HCMV protein UL83 may be relevant to the etiopathogenesis of scleroderma.

【 授权许可】

Unknown