title: Natural anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA).
abstract: Natural AECA constitute a pool of autoantibodies circulating in healthy subjects, which react with a restricted and conserved set of endothelial antigens and establish idiotypic interactions within the immunoglobulin networks. Normal IgG interacts with living endothelial cells and is internalized with a mechanism involving microtubules and resembling that of ligand-receptor internalization. IgG-endothelial cell interaction appears to be dependent on the variable region of antibodies and is followed by modifications of endothelial cell function. Natural AECA increase anti-inflammatory properties of endothelial cells through the selective inhibition of thromboxane A2, endothelin and metalloproteinase-9 secretion, and also through the inhibition of endothelial cell proinflammatory response to TNF-alpha. We have gathered evidence demonstrating that natural AECA constitute a strictly controlled autoantibody pool, interact with living endothelial cells and take part in the regulation of endothelial function, through direct anti-inflammatory effects.
authors.affiliation: Nefrologia e Scienze della Prevenzione, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy. climed01@ipruniv.cle.unipr.it
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ronda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orlandini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellosta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borghetti
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D019332:Endothelin-1; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015850:Interleukin-6; D013928:Thromboxane A2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9