title: Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein h1, a novel nuclear autoantigen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum samples from patients with autoimmune connective tissue diseases that show a finely speckled antinuclear antibody (ANA) on indirect immune-fluorescence often have antibodies against unknown nuclear target antigens. To search for such autoantigens we applied a proteomic approach using sera from patients with a high ANA titer (>or=640) and finely speckled fluorescence but in whom no antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) could be identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an immunoproteomics approach we identified heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H1 (hnRNP H1) as a novel nuclear target of autoantibody response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recombinant rat hnRNP H1 reacted in Western blot analyses with 48% of 93 sera from patients with primary Sjögren syndrome and with 5.2% of 153 sera from patients with other connective tissue diseases (diseased controls). For comparison, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of anti-Sjögren syndrome A (SSA) antibodies for primary Sjögren syndrome in the same patient cohort were 88.2% and 76.3%, respectively. Interestingly, 5 of 11 primary Sjögren syndrome patients with no anti-SSA or anti-SSB antibodies had anti-hnRNP H1 antibodies. Anti-hnRNP H1 antibodies were preabsorbed by hnRNP H1, as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence. In an evaluation of the presence of anti-hnRNP H1 antibodies in 188 consecutive samples submitted to the clinical laboratory with positive ANA (titer >or=160), anti-hnRNP H1 antibodies were found in 3 of 7 (2 primary and 5 secondary) Sjögren syndrome patients and in 8.3% of the diseased controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HnRNP H1 is a newly discovered autoantigen that could become an additional diagnostic marker.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine, Immunology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karolien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van den Bergh
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hooijkaas
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blockmans
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Westhovens
authors.forename: Katrijn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Op De Beéck
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verschueren
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Joop P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van de Merwe
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fijak
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klug
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michiels
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Devogelaere
authors.forename: Humbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Smedt
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Derua
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waelkens
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blanckaert
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D034541:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group F-H / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D034541:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Group F-H; D011994:Recombinant Proteins