title: Occurrence of antibodies to protease-treated histones in a patient with vasculitis.
abstract: We describe the presence of IgG antibodies reacting with histones previously treated with proteases in a patient with vasculitis. The patient's serum did not react with nontreated histones and when several enzymes were tested separately, only alpha-chymotrypsin reproduced the effect. Reactivity was directed against histone fraction H2B and no other autoantibody was found in the patient's serum. This could represent an autoantigen-driven response, histones hydrolyzed in vivo with proteases being the immunogenic stimulus. Diagnostic and pathogenic implications derived from the existence of such autoantibodies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caturla
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Colome
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bustos
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chamorro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Figueredo
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Subiza
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: de la Concha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006657:Histones; D010450:Endopeptidases