title: Autoantibodies against galectin-8: their specificity, association with lymphopenia in systemic lupus erythematosus and detection in rheumatoid arthritis and acute inflammation.
abstract: The role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been completely defined. From more than a hundred autoantibodies described in SLE, relatively few have been associated with clinical manifestations. The glycan-binding proteins of the galectin family can modulate the immune system. Anti-galectin autoantibodies thus could have functional and/or pathogenic implications in inflammatory processes and autoimmunity. We previously reported function-blocking autoantibodies against galectin-8 (Gal-8) in SLE. Here we tested these autoantibodies against a series of other human galectins and demonstrated their specificity for Gal-8, being detectable in 23% of 78 SLE patients. Remarkably, they associated with lymphopenia (50% of 18 anti-Gal-8-positive versus 18% of 60 anti-Gal-8-negative cases, Fisher's Exact test two-tailed: P < 0.012). Lymphopenia is a common clinical manifestation in SLE, yet of unknown mechanism. In addition, six of eight patients with both lymphopenia and malar rash had anti-Gal-8 in their sera. Occurrence of these autoantibodies was not confined to SLE as we also found them in sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (16%) and septicemia (20%). This study thus establishes occurrence of specific anti-Gal-8 autoantibodies in autoimmune rheumatic diseases and in acute inflammation, with an apparent association to a clinical subset in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología Clínica y Reumatología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massardo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mezzano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babul
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jarpa
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaltner
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gabius
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacobelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D037161:Galectins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001323:Autoantibodies; D037161:Galectins; C091991:LGALS8 protein, human; D004247:DNA