title: Cartilage-specific autoimmunity in animal models and clinical aspects in patients - focus on relapsing polychondritis.
abstract: Relapsing polychondritis is an autoimmune disease in which an inappropriate immune response destroys cartilage. Cartilage of the ears, larynx and nose rather than spine and joint cartilage is affected by a chronic relapsing and erosive inflammation. Several animal models for relapsing polychondritis have been published in which immunization with various cartilage proteins induces a variety of chondritis symptoms that mimic those seen in patients. In this review we describe the collagens, matrilin-1 and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein as potential autoantigens able to trigger the tissue-specific immune response seen both in patients and in animal models for relapsing polychondritis and related autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. ann-sofie.hansson@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Ann-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: Rikard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holmdahl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D064236:Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
chemical_list: D064236:Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; C577539:MATN1 protein, human; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; C577553:TSP5 protein, human