title: Serum PEDF levels are decreased in a spontaneous animal model for human autoimmune uveitis.
abstract: Identification of biomarkers is of critical relevance toward improving diagnosis and therapy of autoimmune disorders. Serum markers are a desirable choice as sera are easily accessible and the development of assays for routine clinical detection prompts feasible. Autoimmune uveitis, a recurrent disease affecting the eye, is characterized by returning inflammatory attacks of the inner eye followed by variable periods of quiescent stages. Spontaneous equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is the equine equivalent and serves as a model for the human disease. To identify potential biomarker candidates, we first systematically compared the proteomes of individual ERU cases with healthy controls by proteomic profiling using 2-D difference-gel-electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) followed by tandem mass spectrometry. A total of seven differentially expressed proteins were identified. Besides the upregulation of IgG and the significant lower expression of albumin, Antithrombin III, and Vitamin D binding protein, we found complement components C1q and C4, to be downregulated in uveitic state. Interestingly, Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a marker already detected by 2DE differential proteome analysis in ERU target tissues, vitreous and retina, was found to be also significantly downregulated in sera. The lower expression of PEDF in sera of horses with uveitis could be verified in a cohort of 116 ERU cases and 115 healthy controls. Our findings of a significant lower PEDF expression in ERU cases also in the periphery of the eye proves PEDF as a promising uveitis biomarker.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Physiology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Veterinarstr. 13, D-80539 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Zipplies
authors.forename: Stefanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hauck
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schoeffmann
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amann
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stangassinger
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueffing
authors.forename: Cornelia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Deeg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014605:Uveitis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005136:Eye Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D015843:Serpins; D000099174:Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor