title: Identification of alpha-tropomyosin as a target self-antigen in Behçet's syndrome.
abstract: Behçet's syndrome is a multi-system inflammatory disease affecting mainly the oral and urogenital mucosa and the uveal tract. The etiology and pathogenesis of Behçet's syndrome are unknown, but autoimmune mechanisms are implicated. We initiated this work to identify self-antigens targeted by patients with Behçet's syndrome. We used patient sera to immuno-blot tissue lysates, and we found that some patients manifest antibodies to a 37-kDa band. The 37-kDa band was detected in extracts of skin, tongue, vagina, muscle and heart but not in brain, kidney, lung, liver, intestine and thymus. In-gel digestion and mass spectrometry revealed the band to be alpha-tropomyosin. Autoimmunity to alpha-tropomyosin can be pathogenic; immunized Lewis rats developed lesions in the uveal tract and skin, with features of Behçet's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100 Israel. felix.mor@weizmann.ac.il
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: Irun R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D014602:Uvea / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014335:Tropomyosin