title: Anti-MYC-associated zinc finger protein antibodies are associated with inflammatory atherosclerotic lesions on18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.
abstract: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process of vessel walls responsible for coronary, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular disease, which together account for the majority of non-infective global deaths. Whilst great emphasis has been placed on lifestyle factors, a growing body of evidence supports an autoimmune component to atherosclerosis. This study evaluates a novel autoantibody against MYC-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ-Ab) as a potential marker of atherosclerosis. It compares MAZ-Ab to activity on whole-body positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) attributable to atherosclerosis.
  
  
  
  Antibody screening using protein arrays was performed in patients with angiographically-proven ischaemic heart disease. Following MAZ-Ab detection, an ELISA for large-scale testing was developed. An a priori group of unselected patients attending for unrelated18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT was prospectively enrolled. Each completed a structured questionnaire under supervision and provided serum for analysis. PET/CT scans were evaluated for inflammatory arterial lesions. Whole-body arterial inflammatory burden was then correlated with ELISA optical density for MAZ-Ab.
  
  
  
  Protein array testing identified IgG anti-MAZ antibodies in 4/6 (67%) patients with ischemic heart disease, versus 0/10 controls. Significant positive correlations between MAZ-Ab and both increasing number of PET positive inflammatory atherosclerostic lesions (p = 0.023) and whole-body arterial inflammatory burden (p = 0.002) were shown. No traditional atherosclerotic risk factor correlated with MAZ-Ab.
  
  
  
  A quantitative association between MAZ-Ab optical density on ELISA and the cumulative inflammatory burden of atherosclerosis on18F-FDG PET/CT could be shown. These findings provide further evidence for an autoimmune component in atherosclerosis and suggest MAZ-Abs as a potential biomarker for atherosclerotic disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Rheumatology & Immunology, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: ernst.diana@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Desiree
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weiberg
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Rheumatology & Immunology, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Niklas T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Baerlecken
authors.affiliation: Euroimmun, Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG, Seekamp 31, 23560 Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schlumberger
authors.affiliation: Euroimmun, Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG, Seekamp 31, 23560 Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daehnrich
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Rheumatology & Immunology, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhold E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Bengel
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Derlin
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Rheumatology & Immunology, Hannover Medical University, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Witte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014157:Transcription Factors; C076035:c-MYC-associated zinc finger protein; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: (18)F-FDG-PET/CT imaging; Antibody; Atherosclerosis; MYC-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ); Serum amyloid A activating factor 1 (SAF-1)