Serum levels of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae and human HSP60 in giant cell arteritis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the serum levels of IgG anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) and human heat shock protein (hHSP) 60 antibodies in patients with active giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to determine whether such levels decrease with corticosteroid therapy and remission of symptoms.


METHODS
IgG anti-C. pneumoniae and anti-hHSP60 antibodies were quantified by commercial and in-house ELISA tests, respectively, in serum samples from 17 GCA patients, 39 polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients and 23 age-matched healthy subjects.


RESULTS
Serum IgG anti-hHSP60, but not anti-C. pneumoniae, antibodies were significantly increased in GCA patients in comparison with PMR patients or healthy controls. After steroid therapy, both anti-hHSP60 and -C. pneumoniae antibodies decreased significantly in both groups of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Although some infectious agents have been suggested to participate in GCA pathogenesis, our data do not suggest that C. pneumoniae might be one of them. The production of anti-hHSP60 antibodies is shared in GCA with other systemic diseases and may be triggered by unknown infectious agents and/or other inflammatory factors.
López-Hoyos
M
M
Divisions of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Spain. inmlhm@humv.es
Alvarez
L
L
Ruiz Soto
M
M
Blanco
R
R
José Bartolomé
M
M
Martínez-Taboada
V M
VM
D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000276:immunology*; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013256:Steroids