title: Primary biliary cirrhosis: antigenic specificity of IgM-type mitochondrial antibodies analyzed by immunoblotting and ELISA.
abstract: The antigenic reactivities of circulating IgM- and IgG-type antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) from 18 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) were compared by the use of immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In immunoblotting, the binding patterns of IgM and IgG were very similar when F1-ATPase and mitochondria were used as antigens. The major PBC-specific IgM-reactive antigen was identical with the dominating IgG-reactive antigen, sharing the same molecular weight of 70 kD and the same requirement for reduced thiol groups for expression of antigenicity. Other PBC-related mitochondrial proteins with variable antigenicity had the molecular weights of 60 and 43 kD. Depending on the IgM and IgG reactions in F1-ELISA, PBC patients can be grouped into three categories: patients with IgG and IgM (12/18), IgG alone (5/18) and IgM alone (1/18). By serum fractionation, the IgM reactivity was shown to be a true PBC-related antibody antigen reaction, and not due to interference of rheumatoid factors.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendel-Hartvig
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frostell
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tötterman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology*; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M