Characterization of PF-IV and R&R immunofluorescence patterns observed in the ANA-HEp-2 assay

• Grant number: 10/50710-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: June 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Eduardo Coelho Andrade
• Grantee: Luiz Eduardo Coelho Andrade
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The presence of autoantibodies is common in patients with autoimmune diseases. Some autoantibodies may play a pathogenic course, others may be a consequence of the disease process, some can only be seen in the context of a disease, but without showing any apparent connection with its pathogenesis. Some auto-antibodies recognize self-antigens that are dependent on expression of cell-cycle phase, such as PCNA, SG2-NA, p330/CENP-F, RMSA-1, SEM, PSL (p55) and GAPDH. Generally this class of autoantibodies displays a pleomorphic pattern of indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 (ANA-HEp-2). In our everyday practice, we have observed some samples which present a pattern in which the main feature is the variability in fluorescence intensity among the cells. Though the fluorescence intensity varies, the morphological pattern does not. One of these patterns is the target of special interest due to its relatively high frequency and it has been called among us as Nuclear Fine Speckled with Variable Intensity pattern (PF-IV). This study aims to set the immunological features of the autoantibodies involved in the PF-IV pattern and the partial molecular characterization of their respective target autoantigens. Recently it also been reported that some ANA-positive HCV patients show a pattern of atypical cytoplasmic immunofluorescence, characterized by small structures resembling rods and rings. In this study we will evaluate the prevalence of autoantibodies associated with the so-called pattern called "Rods e Rings pattern (ReR) in patients with chronic HCV infection, co-infected or not with HIV, seeking to determine the association of the presence of these autoantibodies with clinical, virological, histological and therapeutic parameters. We also intend to characterize the autoantigens and cytoplasmic structures associated with the ReR pattern. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

KEPPEKE, GERSON DIERLEY; SATOH, MINORU; GOMES FERRAZ, MARIA LUCIA; CHAN, EDWARD K. L.; ANDRADE, LUIS EDUARDO C.. Temporal evolution of human autoantibody response to cytoplasmic rods and rings structure during anti-HCV therapy with ribavirin and interferon-alpha. IMMUNOLOGIC RESEARCH, v. 60, n. 1, p. 38-49, OCT 2014. (11/12448-0, 10/50710-6)

KEPPEKE, GERSON DIERLEY; NUNES, EUNICE; GOMES FERRAZ, MARIA LUCIA; BENEDITO SILVA, EDUARDO ANTONIO; GRANATO, CELSO; CHAN, EDWARD K. L.; ANDRADE, LUIS EDUARDO C.. Longitudinal Study of a Human Drug-Induced Model of Autoantibody to Cytoplasmic Rods/Rings following HCV Therapy with Ribavirin and Interferon-alpha. PLoS One, v. 7, n. 9, SEP 24 2012. (10/50710-6)