These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Fine specificity of autoantibodies to soluble liver antigen and liver/pancreas.
    Author: Herkel J, Heidrich B, Nieraad N, Wies I, Rother M, Lohse AW.
    Journal: Hepatology; 2002 Feb; 35(2):403-8. PubMed ID: 11826415.
    Abstract:
    Autoantibodies to soluble liver antigen and liver pancreas (SLA/LP) have been described as specific markers for Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH), occurring in about 20% of patients with AIH. The high degree of specificity for SLA/LP in autoimmune liver disease suggests a possible role in its pathogenesis. This study aims to map the exact epitope(s) recognized by SLA/LP autoantibodies and to assess the role of molecular mimicry between microbial antigens and self-epitopes. Using SLA/LP-reactive sera of 18 individual AIH patients and a pool of 15 patient sera, we found the dominant immune reactivity directed to peptide p395-414 and a less prominent immune response to 2 other epitopes adjacent to the dominant epitope. Immunodominance of peptide p395-414 was confirmed by absorption experiments. The SLA/LP autoantibodies of all tested AIH patients were mainly of the IgG1 type, suggesting that SLA/LP autoantibodies may arise by a common and specific underlying immune stimulus. Based on sequence homologies of the SLA/LP antigenic region with viral proteins, it was hypothesized that molecular mimicry may drive autoimmunity to SLA/LP. However, the homologous virus-derived peptides were not recognized by SLA/LP autoantibodies. Similarly, the only known procaryotic homologue, MJ0610 of Methanococcus jannaschii, was only weakly recognized by SLA/LP-positive sera. Thus, no evidence could be found for molecular mimicry being the causative mechanism for the development of SLA/LP autoantibodies. In conclusion, the exquisite epitope specificity and IgG subtype are evidence for the maturity of the SLA/LP autoantibody response; a specific autoantigen-driven process underlying the immunopathogenesis is likely.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]