Tag: nuclear envelope antigens

High frequency of autoantibodies to insoluble cellular antigens in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the humoral immune response in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), by identification and characterization of autoantibodies.

METHODS: Initial immunofluorescence histochemistry studies of sera using human HEp-2 cell substrate were followed by antibody class subtyping and colocalization studies with reference antibodies. Association of CFS autoantigens with insoluble cellular components was determined by in situ extraction of soluble components and subsequent immunofluorescence histochemistry studies on the extracted cell substrate.

RESULTS: Of 60 CFS patients, 41 (68%) were positive for antinuclear antibodies. Localization of nuclear staining was found at the nuclear envelope (52%), in reticulated speckles (25%), in nucleoli (13%), and in dense fine speckles (5%). Twenty-eight CFS sera (47%) also had antibodies to cytoplasmic antigens. The major cytoplasmic staining pattern was of the intermediate filament type (35%). The observed nuclear envelope pattern of staining co-localized with lamina-associated polypeptide 2 (an integral nuclear membrane protein), the reticulated speckle pattern co-localized with non-small nuclear RNP splicing factor SC-35, and the intermediate filament pattern co-localized with vimentin. The intermediate filament antigen was shown to be vimentin in immunoblotting experiments using recombinant human vimentin, and one of the nuclear envelope antigens was shown previously to be lamin B1. Fifty of the 60 CFS patients (83%) had antibodies to one or another of these antigens, all of which are relatively insoluble cellular antigens, whereas a control group of patients without chronic fatigue had a significantly lower frequency of such antibodies (17%).

CONCLUSION: The high frequency of autoantibodies to insoluble cellular antigens in CFS represents a unique feature which might help to distinguish CFS from other rheumatic autoimmune diseases.

Comment in: Incidence of antinuclear antibodies in Japanese patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. [Arthritis Rheum. 1997]

 

Source: von Mikecz A, Konstantinov K, Buchwald DS, Gerace L, Tan EM. High frequency of autoantibodies to insoluble cellular antigens in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Arthritis Rheum. 1997 Feb;40(2):295-305. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9041942

 

Autoantibodies to nuclear envelope antigens in chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

We have identified and partially characterized the autoantibodies in sera of 60 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Approximately 52% of the sera were found to react with nuclear envelope antigens.

The combination of nuclear rim staining observed in immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis of highly purified nuclear envelope proteins provided initial characterization of these autoantibodies. Further characterization showed that some sera immunoprecipitated the in vitro transcription and translation product of a human cDNA clone encoding the nuclear envelope protein lamin B1. The autoantibodies were of the IgG isotype.

The occurrence of autoantibodies to a conserved intracellular protein like lamin B1 provides new laboratory evidence for an autoimmune component in chronic fatigue syndrome.

 

Source: Konstantinov K, von Mikecz A, Buchwald D, Jones J, Gerace L, Tan EM. Autoantibodies to nuclear envelope antigens in chronic fatigue syndrome. J Clin Invest. 1996 Oct 15;98(8):1888-96. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC507629/ (Full article)