Immunosuppressants increase the levels of natural autoantibodies reactive with glycosaminoglycans in myasthenia gravis

Zsuzsanna Pal; László Tóthfalusi; Zsolt Lörincz; Bence György; Maria Judit Molnar; Andras Falus; Edit I Buzás

doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2014.08.002

Immunosuppressants increase the levels of natural autoantibodies reactive with glycosaminoglycans in myasthenia gravis

J Neuroimmunol. 2014 Nov 15;276(1-2):224-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2014.08.002. Epub 2014 Aug 8.

Authors

Zsuzsanna Pal¹, László Tóthfalusi², Zsolt Lörincz³, Bence György⁴, Maria Judit Molnar⁵, Andras Falus⁴, Edit I Buzás⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, 1083 Balassa u.6, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 1089 Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, Hungary.
² Department of Pharmacodynamics, Semmelweis University, 1089 Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, Hungary.
³ Institute of Enzymology Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Karolina u 29, Budapest H-1518, Hungary.
⁴ Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 1089 Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, Hungary.
⁵ Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders, Semmelweis University, 1083 Tömő u.18, Budapest, Hungary.
⁶ Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 1089 Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: buzas.edit@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.

PMID: 25139014
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2014.08.002

Abstract

Increasing number of evidences support the role of glycosylation in the evolution of autoimmunity. We examined carbohydrate-reactive natural autoantibodies systematically for the first time in patients with autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Antibodies reactive to glycosaminoglycans were measured with CovaLink ELISA in the sera of 59 myasthenia patients as well as in 54 healthy controls. We used the GlycoChip carbohydrate array to characterize individual carbohydrate recognition patterns. Chondroitin-sulphate C and anti-α-mannose-specific IgG levels were significantly elevated in myasthenia patients. Unexpectedly, we found that immunosuppressants increased the levels of the protective IgM glycosaminoglycan-reactive natural antibodies demonstrating a new role for these agents in immunoregulation.

Keywords: Autoimmunity; Glycosylation; Muscle.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Analysis of Variance
Autoantibodies / blood*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Glycosaminoglycans / immunology*
Humans
Immunosuppressive Agents / immunology*
Male
Microarray Analysis
Middle Aged
Myasthenia Gravis / blood*
Receptors, Cholinergic / immunology

Substances

Autoantibodies
Glycosaminoglycans
Immunosuppressive Agents
Receptors, Cholinergic