title: Agalactosyl IgG in pristane-induced arthritis. Pregnancy affects the incidence and severity of arthritis and the glycosylation status of IgG.
abstract: The effect of pregnancy on the incidence and severity of pristane-induced arthritis was examined along with the glycosylation status of IgG during the ante-natal and post-partum periods. It was found that pristane-induced arthritis is prevented by pregnancy. In addition, the levels of agalactosyl IgG fall during pregnancy but rise to greater than normal within a few days of parturition, before resetting towards the norm shortly afterwards. Interestingly, the level of agalactosyl IgG correlates with the severity of arthritis. As previously reported IL-6 may be an important factor, not necessarily the only one, in the production of agalactosyl IgG. Here it is clearly demonstrated that the kinetics of IL-6 activity post-pristane injection parallels the kinetics of agalactosyl IgG production. In addition, the overshoot in agalactosyl IgG levels immediately post-partum coincides with a burst in IL-6 activity. It is considered that these changes in IgG glycoform levels, or the factors which control them, may be related to the mechanisms underlying prevention/remission of arthritis during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, School of Medical Science, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hitsumoto
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rook
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Elson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000209:etiology; D002273:Carcinogens; D005260:Female; D006031:Glycosylation; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D015994:Incidence; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013729:Terpenes
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015850:Interleukin-6; D013729:Terpenes; C064155:agalactosyl IGG; C009042:pristane