title: Alpha-enolase is a renal-specific antigen associated with kidney involvement in mixed cryoglobulinemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the specificity of antibodies reactive with renal antigens in mixed cryoglobulinemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) patients were tested on human kidney extracts by immunoblot. A partially purified renal antigen was subjected to N-terminal sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibodies reactive with a renal antigen of 48 kD were detected in 7 out of 11 patients with MC and renal involvement. N-terminal sequencing of this antigen showed that it was identical with alpha-enolase. This result was confirmed by the reactivity of the renal antigen with a rabbit anti-serum specific for alpha-enolase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that antibodies specific for alpha-enolase are frequently produced by mixed cryoglobulinemia patients with renal involvement.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabbatini
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dolcher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marchini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chimenti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moscato
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pratesi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bombardieri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Migliorini
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009393:Nephritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase