Low levels of heat shock proteins-60 and -65 autoantibodies in Sjögren's syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Heat shock proteins are highly conserved immunodominant antigens found in various species. Humoral immune responses to mycobacterial HSP65 and human HSP60 have been established in a number of human autoimmune diseases.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of antibodies to HSP60 kDa and HSP65 kDa in patients with Sjögren's syndrome as compared to normal subjects.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients with SS were compared with normal controls. The antibodies against human HSP60 were measured by the Anti-Human (IgG/IgM) HSP60 ELISA kit. IgGs and IgMs to mycobacterial HSP65 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with mycobacterial recombinant HSP65 antigens.


RESULTS
The levels of both anti-HSP60 and -HSP65 were lower in patients compared with controls. IgG autoantibodies to HSP60 were significantly different between groups: 162 +/- 55.1 ng/ml in controls versus 112.3 +/- 30.6 ng/ml in SS patients (P < 0.001). The levels among controls of anti-HSP65 IgM isotype were also significantly higher than among the SS patients: 111.6 +/- 33.4 U/ml versus 96.1 +/- 8.9 U/ml (P= 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study show that the levels of different isotypes of anti- HSP60 and HSP65 antibodies were lower in patients with SS than in normal subjects. Additional studies in larger patient populations are required to evaluate the prevalence of these autoantibodies in SS patients.
Shovman
Ora
O
Department of Medicine B and Center of Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Sherer
Yaniv
Y
Gilbourd
Boris
B
Gerli
Roberto
R
Bocci
Elena Bartoloni
EB
delle Monache
Francesco
F
Luccioli
Filippo
F
Shoenfeld
Yehuda
Y
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018833:Chaperonins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C074119:heat-shock protein 65, Mycobacterium; D018833:Chaperonins