title: Expression of human endogenous retrovirus clone 4-1 may correlate with blood plasma concentration of anti-U1 RNP and anti-Sm nuclear antibodies.
abstract: The transcription of human endogenous retrovirus E (HERV-E) clone 4-1 was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the contribution of HERV-E clone 4-1 expression in the development of SLE remains unclear. Blood plasma and PBMC from 55 patients with SLE and a control group of 35 healthy individuals were collected. Blood plasma concentration of five antinuclear antibodies including anti-U1 ribonucleoprotein (RNP), anti-Sm, anti-Scl-70, anti-single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), and anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Total RNA was isolated from PBMC and reverse transcribed into cDNA. The number of copies of HERV-E clone 4-1 gag transcript in PBMC was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) analysis. Spearman statistical analysis indicated that blood plasma concentrations of anti-U1 RNP and anti-Sm antibodies may correlate with PBMC transcript levels of HERV-E clone 4-1 gag sequence (R = 0.775, p < 0.000001; R = 0.698, p < 0.000001, respectively). Our observations suggest that the expression of HERV-E clone 4-1 might be associated with production of anti-U1 RNP and anti-Sm antibodies in patients with SLE.
authors: School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors: Piotr C
authors: PC
authors: Piotrowski
authors: Sergiusz
authors: S
authors: Duriagin
authors: Paweł P
authors: PP
authors: Jagodzinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear; D055517:snRNP Core Proteins