title: Maternal HLA antigens and antibodies to SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La. Comparison with systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: To study the maternal immunogenetics in congenital heart block (CHB), 31 mothers of affected children were HLA typed for class I and II antigens, and the results were compared with the corresponding HLA types in 900 healthy controls, in 45 mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in 21 mothers with primary SS who had healthy children. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to study the autoantibody responses to the recombinant 52 and 60 kDa SS-A/Ro, and 48 kDa SS-B/La proteins, and to the affinity-purified SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La antigens. Mothers of children with CHB had HLA B8 and DR3 significantly more often than healthy controls [71 vs 10%; relative risk (RR) 9.8, P < 0.00001 and 74 vs 23%; RR9.8, P < 0.001, respectively]. HLA B35 was protective (RR 0.1, P = 0.0029). Compared to controls with SLE, mothers of children with CHB were more often HLA DR3 and DQ2 positive (RR 4.1, P = 0.0057 and RR 3.1, P = 0.031, respectively), and compared to controls with primary SS less often HLA B15 positive (RR 0.1, P = 0.010). In general, the HLA antigen profile in mothers of children with CHB was more closely related to primary SS than to SLE. Levels of antibodies to all three SS-A/Ro antigens were significantly higher in mothers of children with CHB than in controls with SLE and primary SS (P = 0.0001-0.0014). With regard to SS-B/La, the autoantibody responses were similar (P = 0.32-0.66).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Julkunen
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Siren
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaaja
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kurki
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Friman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koskimies
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000151:congenital* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; C035356:SS-A antibodies; C035357:SS-B antibodies