Increased immunoreactivity against human cytomegalovirus UL83 in systemic sclerosis.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To study immunoreactivity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in systemic sclerosis (SSc), since HCMV has been put forward as a candidate infectious cause.
METHODS
Eighty four patients with SSc (67 females; median age 60 years, range 25-81), 30 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) (23 females; median age 44, range 20-69 years) and 28 healthy controls (NCs), all pre-tested positive for IgG anti-HCMV antibodies, were studied. IgG anti-UL83 HCMV antibodies were tested by western immunoblotting and expressed in arbitrary units (AUs). Reactivity to UL83 HCMV was assessed in relation to clinical manifestations and SSc-related autoantibodies (autoAbs), tested by an IgG SSc autoantibody profile line immunoassay (Euroimmun) that detects autoAbs against Scl-70, CENPA, CENPB, RNA polymerase III subunit 11 (RP11), RP155, fibrillarin, NOR90, Th/To, PM-Scl100, PM-Scl75, Ku, PDGFR and Ro-52.
RESULTS
Fifty patients (59.5%) were anti-UL83 clear positive (UL83+), including 21/40 (52.5%) lcSSc and 29/44 (65.6%) dcSSc, compared to 15/30 (50%) patients with MS (SSc vs MS, p=ns and 11/28 (39.29%) of NCs (SSc vs NC, p=ns MS vs NC, p=ns). Anti-UL83 antibody AU levels (mean±SD) were higher in SSc (64.3 ± 26) compared to MS (49.1±21.6, p=0.05) or NCs (40.4±13.7, p<0.001; MS vs NCs, p=ns) and were associated with pulmonary fibrosis.
CONCLUSIONS
Immunoreactivity to UL83 HCMV is frequent and strong in patients with SSc, implying a possible pathogenic role for this disease.
Dept. Rheumatology & Clin. Immunol., School Health Sciences, Univ.of Thessaly, Larissa; and Cellular Immunotherapy & Molecular Immunodiagnostics, Biomedical Section, Ctre for Res. & Technology-Hellas (CERTH)- Inst. Research & Technology-Thessaly, Greece.Dept. Rheumatology & Clin. Immunol., School Health Sciences, Univ.of Thessaly, Larissa; and Cellular Immunotherapy & Molecular Immunodiagnostics, Biomedical Section, Ctre for Res. & Technology-Hellas (CERTH)- Inst. Research & Technology-Thessaly, Greece.Dept. Rheumatology & Clin. Immunol., School Health Sciences, Univ.of Thessaly, Larissa; and Cellular Immunotherapy & Molecular Immunodiagnostics, Biomedical Section, Ctre for Res. & Technology-Hellas (CERTH)- Inst. Research & Technology-Thessaly, Greece.Department of Neurology, University General Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University General Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.Institute of Immunology, Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany.Institute of Immunology, Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany.Department of Neurology, University General Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.Dept. Rheumatology & Clin. Immunol., School Health Sciences, Univ.of Thessaly, Larissa; and Cellular Immunotherapy & Molecular Immunodiagnostics, Biomedical Section, Ctre for Res. & Technology-Hellas (CERTH)- Inst. Research & Technology-Thessaly, Greece.Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece. lsakkas@med.uth.gr. MeSH
AdultAgedAged, 80 and overAutoantibodiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMultiple SclerosisPhosphoproteinsScleroderma, SystemicViral Matrix Proteins
Pub Type(s)
Journal Article
