title: IgA-alpha-1-antitrypsin complex in systemic lupus erythematosus: preliminary report.
abstract: To investigate the role of the complex IgA-alpha-1-antitrypsin (IgA-AT) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and its possible relations to either activity of the disease or a treatment, we examined a concentration of IgA-AT complex in 65 SLE and 9 MCTD sera. Complex IgA-AT was evaluated using a double antibody enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Twenty nine patients with SLE (44.6%) and three patients with MCTD (33.3%) had increased serum IgA-AT levels. The mean values of IgA-AT complex in patients with SLE and MCTD were higher than in healthy controls. Among the SLE group, patients with current neurological manifestation were characterized by an increase in IgA-AT serum concentration (2.45 +/- 2.07 U vs. 0.78 +/- 0.70 U, P < 0.001). No relation was found between this complex and ESR level, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, or hemoglobin level. Ten SLE patients were treated with CTX intravenously. In this group of patients, IgA-AT complex level was found to be increased compared with patients without such a treatment (1.82 +/- 1.30 U vs. 0.80 +/- 0.67 U, P < 0.05). The present study provides two new observations. Firstly, IgA-AT complex is increased in SLE and MCTD compared with healthy controls, and secondly, patients with CNS involvement displayed a striking increased IgA-AT level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Karol Marcinkowski University School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lacki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schochat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leszczynski
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mackiewicz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000276:immunology; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin