Autoantibodies specificity in acute anterior uveitis according to the presence of the HLA-B27 allele.
OBJECTIVE
To study HLA-B27(+) and HLA-B27(-) patients with AAU with respect to the frequency and specificity of organ-specific and non-organ-specific autoantibodies.


METHODS
Fifty-seven consecutive patients with AAU were subjected to ophthalmologic and rheumatologic evaluation as well as to autoantibody determination: antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anticardiolipin, anti-smooth muscle, and anti-parietal cell antibodies, and immunoblot for antibodies to HeLa cells and to bovine iris extract. HLA-B27 was determined by a microlymphocytotoxicity assay. Statistical analysis employed chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and McNemar test.


RESULTS
Thirty-four patients had the HLA-B27 allele (B27(+)/AAU) and 23 did not (B27(-)/AAU). ANA, RF, anticardiolipin, and anti-parietal cell antibodies appeared in low frequency. No patient presented anti-smooth muscle antibody. Immunoblot showed a high frequency of antibodies to HeLa cell proteins in B27(-)/AAU patients with predominant reactivity at 46 kDa and 56 kDa. In contrast, sera from B27(+)/AAU patients reacted poorly against HeLa cell antigens. Immunoblot with bovine iris extract showed a significant frequency of antibodies in both groups, with a predominant response to antigens with an estimated mobility of 35, 52, and 54 kDa.


CONCLUSIONS
Antibodies specific to iris antigens were equally frequent in both acute uveitis groups, whereas non-organ-specific autoantibodies, especially those to HeLa cell proteins, were far less frequent in B27(+)/AAU than in B27(-)/AAU patients.
Trevisani
V F
VF
Rheumatology and Ophthalmology Divisions, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. vmoca@uol.com.br
Mattos
K T
KT
Esteves
R F
RF
Olialves
S M
SM
Andrade
L E
LE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000483:Alleles; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000276:immunology; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000276:immunology; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000276:immunology*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D002308:Cardiolipins; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor