Antibodies to high mobility group proteins in systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of autoantibodies to high mobility group (HMG) proteins in systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
One hundred ninety-seven unselected sera from patients diagnosed as SSc (n = 180) or Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) (n = 17) were tested for HMG autoantibodies by ELISA and immunoblotting.


RESULTS
Seventy-one of the 180 (39.0%) SSc sera bound to HMG proteins in an ELISA: 56 (31%) to HMG-1 and/or HMG-2; 29 (16%) to HMG-14/17. In the same assay, 7 of 17 RP sera (41%) bound to HMG proteins: 4 (23%) to HMG-1 and/or HMG-2, and 5 (29%) to HMG-14/17. The specificity of HMG binding was confirmed by immunoblotting.


CONCLUSIONS
Antibodies to HMG proteins, particularly to HMG-1 and HMG-2 are found in about 1/3 of SSc Sera. Since HMG-1 and HMG-2 have a role in transcription, these observations further implicate transcriptional complexes as targets of autoantibodies in scleroderma. This is the first published report of HMG autoantibodies in scleroderma.
Ayer
L M
LM
Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.
Sénecal
J L
JL
Martin
L
L
Dixon
G H
GH
Fritzler
M J
MJ
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins