title: The expression of human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is associated with sacroiliitis stages of ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) may play an important role in autoimmune diseases. The present study is to investigate whether or not HLA-G is associated with sacroiliitis stages of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a systemic autoimmune disease. Plasma levels of soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) and HLA-G expression on the surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured in 55 AS patients and 49 healthy controls by using a specific HLA-G ELISA and flow cytometric (FCM) analysis, respectively. Association of HLA-G expression with sacroiliitis stages of the patients was statistically analyzed. The plasma sHLA-G concentrations were noticeably lower in the AS patients when compared to the healthy controls while the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of the HLA-G expression on the surface of PBMCs was significantly higher in the AS patients than in the healthy controls (both P<0.0001). The HLA-G expression on the surface of PBMCs, plasma sHLA-G levels and HLA-B27 expression were significantly correlated to each other. Moreover, the plasma sHLA-G was inversely associated with the sacroiliitis stages (P=0.008), while the HLA-G expression on the surface of PBMCs increased from stage 0 to II but decreased in stage III (P=0.001). The significant association of HLA-G expressions with AS sacroiliitis stages suggests that HLA-G is possibly involved in the pathology of the disease. The detection of HLA-G expression may therefore be a useful laboratory test to reveal disease process in AS patients.
authors: Core Laboratory, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, PR China.
authors: Jian-Bo
authors: JB
authors: Zhang
authors: Zhi-Ying
authors: ZY
authors: Wang
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Xiao-Dan
authors: XD
authors: Wu
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Zhou
authors: Shang-Mian
authors: SM
authors: Yie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D059951:HLA-G Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D058566:Sacroiliitis / Q000276:immunology*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D059951:HLA-G Antigens
keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; ELISA; Flow cytometry; HLA-B27; HLA-G