High levels of antibodies to annexins V and VI in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
Glucocorticoids are powerful antiinflammatory agents widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Synthesis and/or secretion of annexin I (A-I) is induced by these steroids. Annexins V and VI are also found extracellularly but are not induced by glucocorticoids. Annexins may be potent antagonists of phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Since autoantibodies to A-I have been reported in patients with RA, we studied the reactivity of sera from patients with RA to A-V and A-VI.


METHODS
Sera from 26 patients with RA were assessed for anti-A-V and anti-A-VI antibodies and compared with sera from 26 sex/age matched healthy subjects. IgG and IgM antibodies were analyzed in an ELISA: A correlation study with disease activity and corticosteroid treatment schedule was performed.


RESULTS
Sera from patients with RA contained significantly higher levels of IgG [anti-A-V and anti-A-VI] autoantibodies than control sera, both being correlated. This rise in antiannexin antibody titers was correlated with the RA activity score, and negatively correlated with the daily dose of corticosteroids.


CONCLUSIONS
High levels of IgG (anti-A-V and anti-A-VI) antibodies were found in sera from patients with RA. We suggest that antiannexin autoantibodies may play a role in the clinical course of RA by impairing the anti-PLA2 effect of annexins.
Dubois
T
T
Laboratoire de Signalisation, Inflammation et Transformation Cellulaire, INSERM U.332, Institut Cochin de Génétique Moléculaire (ICGM), Université René Descartes, Paris, France.
Bisagni-Faure
A
A
Coste
J
J
Mavoungou
E
E
Menkes
C J
CJ
Russo-Marie
F
F
Rothhut
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000276:immunology*; D017317:Annexin A6 / Q000276:immunology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000097:blood; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D017304:Annexin A5; D017317:Annexin A6; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D011241:Prednisone