title: Specific and sensitive immunoassays detect multiple anti-ovarian antibodies in women with infertility.
abstract: Serum anti-ovarian antibodies (AOAs) have been shown in autoimmune premature ovarian failure and in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cases. The specificity of assays detecting these antibodies has been questioned. Researchers have used several techniques (e.g., ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence). Few have reported on the non-specificity and the type of molecular and cellular targets. We reported earlier on the presence of naturally occurring anti-albumin antibodies as the likely factor for non-specificity. Having developed a novel blocking recipe, we show substantial elimination of this non-specificity. With these standardized tests, we hereby report multiple targets at protein and histological levels. In our study group, 15 of 50 (30%) patients with premature ovarian failure and 13 of 50 (26%) IVF-ET patients showed the presence of AOAs. Western blotting showed a large number of patients making AOAs to a 90-kDa protein, followed by 97- and 120-kDa proteins. Histochemically, it was evident that the sera of these patients predominantly react with the oocyte; other somatic cellular targets are also involved. The specific non-invasive test developed by us was found to be useful because it could carry out a reliable diagnosis of an autoimmune etiology that would be very helpful to select patients in whom immune-modulating therapy could be recommended, which in turn may restore ovarian function and fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gamete Immunobiology, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, J M Street, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India.
authors.forename: Eusebio S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Pervin K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Meherji
authors.forename: Rama R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Vaidya
authors.forename: Firuza R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.forename: Manish N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Ghosalkar
authors.forename: Vrinda V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Khole
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000097:blood; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000097:blood; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007246:Infertility / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology*; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes