title: Antibodies against alpha-fodrin in Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: Alpha-fodrin is a part of the membrane skeleton and expressed in the majority of mammalian cells. It is cleaved in apoptosis by caspase 3. One of the cleavage products, a 120-kDa protein, represents a neoantigen. Antibodies against that cleavage product of alpha-fodrin have originally been described in a murine model of Sjögren's syndrome. In addition, they are also present in up to 93% of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, depending on the stringency of the classification used. Although antibodies against alpha-fodrin are observed in other diseases characterized by chronic apoptosis, they are a valuable laboratory marker in the evaluation of Sjögren's syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Klinische Immunologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Ulbricht
authors.forename: Reinhold E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Witte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D013049:Spectrin
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D013049:Spectrin