Yonsei Med J.  2008 Dec;49(6):923-930. 10.3349/ymj.2008.49.6.923.

Isotype and IgG Subclass Distribution of Autoantibody Response to Alpha-enolase Protein in Adult Patients with Severe Asthma

• Lee HA
• Kwon B
• Hur GY
• Choi SJ
• Nahm DH
• Park HS

• KMID: 1782940
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2008.49.6.923

Abstract

PURPOSE
A possible involvement of autoimmune mechanism in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma has been proposed. Recently, alpha-enolase protein was identified as a major autoantigen recognized by circulating IgG autoantibodies in patients with severe asthma. To evaluate a possible pathogenetic significance of these autoantibodies in severe asthma, isotype (IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE) and IgG subclass (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) distributions of autoantibodies to recombinant human alpha-enolase protein were analyzed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined serum samples from 10 patients with severe asthma and 7 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, and 5 healthy controls by immunoblot analysis. Severe asthma was defined as patients having at least 1 severe asthmatic exacerbation requiring an emergency department visit or admission in the last year despite continuous typical therapies. RESULTS: IgG1 was the predominant IgG subclass antibody response to alpha-enolase protein in patients with severe asthma. IgG1 autoantibody to alpha-enolase protein was detected in 7 of 10 patients with severe asthma (70%), 1 of 7 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma (14.3%), and none of 5 healthy controls (0%) (chi-square test; p < 0.05). IgA, IgM, and IgE autoantibodies to alpha-enolase protein could not be detected in patients with severe asthma. CONCLUSION: IgG1 subclass was the predominant type of autoantibody response to alpha-enolase protein in patients with severe asthma, suggests a possibility of IgG1 autoantibody- mediated complement activation in the pathogenesis of severe asthma.

Keyword

Asthma; autoantibody; IgG; IgG subclass; IgE

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Asthma/*enzymology/*immunology
Autoantibodies/*blood/classification
Autoantigens
Case-Control Studies
Complement Activation
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulin G/blood/classification
Immunoglobulin Isotypes/blood
Male
Middle Aged
Phosphopyruvate Hydratase/*immunology
Recombinant Proteins/immunology
Young Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Immunoblot analysis of circulating autoantibodies to recombinant human alpha-enolase protein; isotype distribution of IgG (A), IgA (B), IgM (C), and IgE autoantibodies (D). Results from healthy controls (CON, lane 1 - 5), patients with mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA, lane 6 - 12), and patients with severe asthma (SA, lane 13 - 22), and specific antibody to alpha-enolase as a positive control (P, lane 23). *Arrow indicates alpha-enolase protein.

• 

  Fig. 2 Immunoblot analysis of IgG subclass autoantibodies to recombinant human alpha-enolase protein; IgG1 (A), IgG2 (B), IgG3 (C), and IgG4 autoantibodies (D) analysis. Results from healthy controls (CON, lane 1 - 5), patients with mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA, lane 6 - 12), and patients with severe asthma (SA, lane 13 - 22), and specific antibody to alpha-enolase as a positive control (P, lane 23). *Arrow indicates alpha-enolase protein.

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