Influenza viruses induce autoantibodies to a brain-specific 37-kDa protein in rabbit.
Immunization of rabbits with certain H1N1 influenza viruses, including the neurotropic strains NWS/33 and WSN/33 and the New Jersey/76 strain, resulted in the production of autoantibodies to a brain-specific protein of 37 kDa that is present in various species, including humans. Autoantibodies were produced to brain only; various other tissues tested were negative. These antibodies were not elicited by other influenza A or B viruses, including closely related recombinant strains, but were elicited by the isolated hemagglutinin of A/Bellamy/42 strain and by formaldehyde-fixed WSN virus--demonstrating that infection was not essential for the induction of autoantibodies. In histological studies, reaction with anti-viral antisera was specific to gray matter and was confined to sera that recognized the 37-kDa protein. Antibody binding was prominent in regions comprised of neuronal cell bodies in cellular layers of the dentate gyrus, hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum and was undetectable in myelin-rich regions, such as the corpus callosum. The 37-kDa protein, therefore, appears to be a neuronal antigen. Antibodies directed against this protein may be involved in the pathogenesis of one or more of the neuropsychiatric disorders that occur after infection with influenza.
Laing
P
P
Section on Brain Biochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Knight
J G
JG
Hill
J M
JM
Harris
A G
AG
Oxford
J S
JS
Webster
R G
RG
Markwell
M A
MA
Paul
S M
SM
Pert
C B
CB
D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002460:Cell Line; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000032:analysis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D015151:Immunoblotting; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000032:analysis; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins