title: Prohibitin as a novel autoantigen in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to verify whether prohibitin is a novel autoantigen in rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, recombinant human prohibitin (rhPHB) protein was cloned, expressed, and purified. Then the anti-prohibitin autoantibodies were detected by western blotting by using rhPHB protein to incubate sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Next, immunoprecipitation was employed to further illustrate whether anti-prohibitin antibodies exist in RA patients. And finally, autoantibodies against the rhPHB protein were investigated using a homemade ELISA kit through the assessment of 258 real clinical samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was revealed that anti-prohibitin antibodies existed in the sera of patients with RA. Reactivity of serum IgG against rhPHB was detected in 26 of 86 RA patients (30.3%), 7 of 86 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients (8.1%), and 1 of 86 apparently healthy donors (HC) (1.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prohibitin was proved to be a novel autoantigen and the corresponding anti-prohibitin autoantibodies were present in the RA patients' blood circulation.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry & Biotechnology Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry & Biotechnology Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry & Biotechnology Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Xun
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry & Biotechnology Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Kang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry & Biotechnology Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chun-He
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: ImmunoHunt Corporation, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Yu
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry & Biotechnology Engineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Wu
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Du
keywords: autoantibodies; autoantigen; autoimmune disease; prohibitin; rheumatoid arthritis