Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated a correlation between serum anti-citrullinated HSP90 antibodies and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). To further investigate this potential pathogenic relationship, we used ELISA-based techniques to assess anti-citrullinated HSP90 antibody profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with different stages of RA-ILD. 9/21 RA-derived BALF specimens demonstrated IgG and/or IgA antibodies targeting citrullinated HSP90 proteins/peptides, highlighting disease specific responses (with a predilection for RA-ILD) that did not occur in IPF patients (0/5) or healthy control subjects (0/5). Comparison of antibody profiles between BALF and matching serum specimens revealed various recognition patterns favoring predominant production of anti-citrullinated HSP90 antibodies within the lung microenvironment-further supporting the connection between this antibody specificity and parenchymal lung disease. Equally important, qualitative as well as quantitative differences in anti-citrullinated HSP90 profiles between BALF and serum indicate that the lung plays a direct role in shaping the immune repertoire of RA/RA-ILD.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 60-70 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Clinical Immunology |
Volume | 155 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 11 2014 |
Keywords
- Autoantibodies
- Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
- Citrullination
- HSP90
- Interstitial lung disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
- Immunology and Allergy