title: An immunoreactive peptide of the FSH involved in autoimmune infertility.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify autoantigens contained in human ovary extracts. Serum samples from 36 infertile women with anti-ovary antibodies as detected with an ELISA technique were tested in Western blot against human ovary extracts. A reactive protein with a molecular mass matching that of the FSH was detected in 34 cases. These serum samples also reacted strongly in Western blot and ELISA with purified FSH and, in immunofluorescence, with pituitary cells. Using the Pepscan approach, with overlapping peptides matching the amino acid sequence of the human FSH beta-chain, several immunoreactive regions were evidenced. The 78-93 amino acid sequence of the human FSH beta-chain appeared as one of the major epitopes. Synthetic peptides of this region were prepared and demonstrated to react with human serum samples from women with anti-ovary antibodies. These data demonstrate that FSH can be an autoantigen, recognized by autoantibodies associated with infertility.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, UHP Nancy I, Nancy, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gobert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jolivet-Reynaud
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dalbon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barbarino-Monnier
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Faure
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jolivet
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Béné
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000737:chemistry*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D000939:Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone