Anti-endothelial cell antibodies and antiphospholipid antibodies in Takayasu's arteritis: correlations of their titers and isotype distributions with disease activity.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) and antiphospholipid antibodies, and the correlations of their isotype distributions and titers with disease activity in patients with Takayasu's arteritis (TA).


METHODS
Forty-seven patients with TA and 30 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. Blood samples were obtained from all patients and they were divided into either active or stable disease groups. Paired samples were available in 18 patients at both active and stable stage, respectively. AECA against human umbilical vein endothelial cells and antiphospholipid antibodies were measured.


RESULTS
Forty-two (89.4%) TA patients had AECA, and positivity rates of IgM and IgG AECA were 83.0% and 68.1%, respectively, while those for controls were both 3.3%. The titers of IgM and IgG AECA in patients were significantly higher than those in controls. IgM AECA titers of the active group were significantly higher than those of the stable group, but IgG AECA titers were not. In 18 patients with paired samples, IgM AECA titers at active stage were significantly higher than those at stable stage, but IgG AECA titers were not different between stages. The changes of IgM AECA titers correlated well with those of ESR levels between stages. Antiphospholipid antibodies were detected in only 4 patients with TA, but not in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
IgM AECA and IgG AECA were more prevalent and their titers were higher in patients with TA than in controls, and IgM AECA titers correlated well with the disease activity of TA. Antiphospholipid antibodies were not found significant.
Park
M-C
MC
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute for Immunology and Immunologic Diseases, Brain Korea 21 project for Medical Science, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Y-B
YB
Jung
S Y
SY
Lee
K H
KH
Lee
S-K
SK
D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C087589:anti-endothelial cell antibody