title: Alpha-enolase: a novel autoantigen in patients with premature ovarian failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although controversial, the presence of circulating antiovarian antibodies (AOA) may be considered a marker of autoimmune premature ovarian failure (POF). The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the presence of AOA in POF patients, and to identify a possible autoantigen in order to develop a reliable diagnostic tool that might help to determine the real prevalence of autoimmune POF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-randomised study. Blood sampling for determination of circulating AOA.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ten patients with POF and 60 normally menstruating women with no record of autoimmune diseases (controls).
  
  
  METHODS
  Presence of circulating AOA was assessed by Western-blot, using cytosolic fraction from human ovarian homogenate as antigen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one of 110 women with POF presented circulating antibodies directed toward an antigen of approximately 50 kD. Sixty control subjects proved negative. After purification and analysis by mass spectrometry, the antigen was identified as alpha-enolase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determination of the presence of circulating antialpha-enolase antibodies might be instrumental in identifying those patients who may present a putative defect in immunoregulation and therefore a possible autoimmune aetiolgy for POF.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina. sundblad@dna.uba.ar
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sundblad
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bussmann
authors.forename: Violeta A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Chiauzzi
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pancholi
authors.forename: Eduardo H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Charreau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D015415:Biomarkers; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase