Predominant immunoreactivity of Porphyromonas gingivalis heat shock protein in autoimmune diseases.
OBJECTIVE
Autoimmune diseases, including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis, can be triggered and aggravated by the pathogen-driven antigenic peptide from Porphyromonas gingivalis HSP60. P. gingivalis is the major pathogen of chronic periodontitis, which is a global epidemic prevalent in two-thirds of the adult population. The monoclonal antibody raised against peptide 19 (Pep19: TLVVNRLRGSLKICAVKAPG) from P. gingivalis HSP60 was polyreactive to the human homolog. The aim of this study was to determine if Pep19 from P. gingivalis HSP60 manifests itself as a predominant antigen in infection-triggered autoimmune diseases.


METHODS
Pep19 from P. gingivalis HSP60, Mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP60 and Chlamydia pneumoniae HSP60 was synthesized for comparative recognition by the sera from patients with atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, all with ongoing periodontal disease, and by the sera of a control group of patients with periodontal disease but with no history of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.


RESULTS
Of the Pep19 peptides from P. gingivalis HSP60, M. tuberculosis HSP60 and C. pneumoniae HSP60, Pep19 from P. gingivalis HSP60 was the peptide epitope predominantly and most consistently recognized by the serum samples of the four disease groups (chronic periodontitis, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis).


CONCLUSIONS
Seroreactivity to Pep19 of P. gingivalis HSP60, an oral pathogen, was predominant in patients with autoimmune disease with ongoing periodontal disease.
Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, South Korea.
E
E
Jeong
J-Y
JY
Lee
S-J
SJ
Kim
J
J
Choi
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000276:immunology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000276:immunology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C050394:PCP4 protein, human