title: Specificity of human anti-neurofilament autoantibodies.
abstract: The specificities and isotypes of human antibodies that react with neurofilament (NF) proteins were examined by Western blot analysis. Two-thirds of the subjects tested had antibodies to the 200 kDa high molecular weight neurofilament protein (NF-H), and fewer had antibodies to the low and middle molecular weight neurofilament proteins (NF-L and NF-M respectively). Human autoantibodies bound to both native and dephosphorylated NF-H, but some antibodies bound to dephosphorylated NF-H only, indicating the presence of at least two target epitopes. They also recognized a fusion protein containing a segment of the NF-H protein produced by a cDNA clone in Escherichia coli, indicating that they bind to unmodified peptide epitopes. The anti-NF-H antibodies were mostly IgG, but were frequently complexed to IgA or IgM antibodies, possibly with rheumatoid factor or anti-idiotypic activity. These characteristics of anti-NF-H antibodies are most consistent with a secondary immune response that is antigen driven and T-cell dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Braxton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kamali
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liem
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Latov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000276:immunology*; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins