Anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) in patients with systemic vasculitis: our research using proteomics.
BACKGROUND
Anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) may cause damage to endothelial cell (EC) functions and therefore may be of a pathophysiological role in systemic vasculitis. The pathophysiological role of AECA, however, is still uncertain.


METHODS
To clarify the detailed roles of AECA, various methods for identification of target proteins of AECA have been developed, such as expression libraries and proteomic approaches combining two-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting.


RESULTS
Advances, including our research, have been made in defining the target antigens of AECA, which we summarize in this review. Furthermore, we discuss the possible significance of AECA in the pathophysiology of vascular damage and the value of AECA in systemic vasculitis.


CONCLUSIONS
To identify target antigens of AECA and to establish a standardized method for measuring AECA would be helpful in the search for a possible pathophysiological role of AECA in systemic vasculitis.
Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan Kanagawa, 216-8512, Japan. r2karasawa@marianna-u.ac.jp
Rie
R
Karasawa
Kazuo
K
Yudoh
Shoichi
S
Ozaki
Tomohiro
T
Kato
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D040901:Proteomics; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies