Yin Xiong1, Sihai Gao2, Guangwei Luo3, Guilian Cheng4, Wei Huang5, Rui Jiang4, Yueqin Wang4, Tianpen Cui6. 1. Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China; Clinical Laboratory of Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, PR China. 2. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. 3. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. 4. Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. 5. Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. 6. Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. Electronic address: tianpencui@126.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Autoimmune processes are involved in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Autoantibodies against cytokeratin 18 (CK18) and cytokeratin 19 (CK19) could be associated with lung injury. We undertook this study to investigate the role of these autoantibodies against CK18 and CK19 in the development of COPD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used blood samples from 228 COPD patients or 136 healthy controls and male C57BL/6j mice as experimental subjects to analyze the serum autoantibody levels against CK18 or CK19 autoantigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that the circulating autoantibody levels of IgG, IgA, IgM against CK18 and CK19 were elevated in patients with COPD compared with healthy controls, which were increased gradually as the severity of the disease increases, especially in GOLD III and GOLD IV with the exception of anti-CK19 IgG and anti-CK18 IgA autoantibodies. Moreover, we observed that the serum levels of anti-CK18 and anti-CK19 IgG autoantibodies were higher in mice exposed to cigarette smoke compared with mice exposed to room air for 6 months and 9 months. Additionally, we identified the distribution of antibodies and the presence of autoantibodies (IgG) against CK18 and CK19 in the damaged lung tissues of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Increased circulating autoantibodies against CK18 and CK19 are closely related to the progression of COPD, which play an important role in the process of lung injury in COPD, suggesting that it is promising for anti-CK18 and anti-CK19 autoantibodies to serve as a tool to monitor lung damage and guide treatment.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Autoimmune processes are involved in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Autoantibodies against cytokeratin 18 (CK18) and cytokeratin 19 (CK19) could be associated with lung injury. We undertook this study to investigate the role of these autoantibodies against CK18 and CK19 in the development of COPD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used blood samples from 228 COPDpatients or 136 healthy controls and male C57BL/6j mice as experimental subjects to analyze the serum autoantibody levels against CK18 or CK19 autoantigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that the circulating autoantibody levels of IgG, IgA, IgM against CK18 and CK19 were elevated in patients with COPD compared with healthy controls, which were increased gradually as the severity of the disease increases, especially in GOLD III and GOLD IV with the exception of anti-CK19 IgG and anti-CK18 IgA autoantibodies. Moreover, we observed that the serum levels of anti-CK18 and anti-CK19 IgG autoantibodies were higher in mice exposed to cigarette smoke compared with mice exposed to room air for 6 months and 9 months. Additionally, we identified the distribution of antibodies and the presence of autoantibodies (IgG) against CK18 and CK19 in the damaged lung tissues of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Increased circulating autoantibodies against CK18 and CK19 are closely related to the progression of COPD, which play an important role in the process of lung injury in COPD, suggesting that it is promising for anti-CK18 and anti-CK19 autoantibodies to serve as a tool to monitor lung damage and guide treatment.
Authors: Alexander McQuiston; Amir Emtiazjoo; Peggi Angel; Tiago Machuca; Jason Christie; Carl Atkinson Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2021-08-11 Impact factor: 7.561