Evaluation of antigenic potential of the collagen type v in systemic sclerosis

• Grant number: 16/05617-4
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: November 01, 2016 - January 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Immunochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Pereira Velosa
• Grantee: Ana Paula Pereira Velosa
• Home Institution: Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Solange Carrasco ; Vera Luiza Capelozzi ; Walcy Paganelli Rosolia Teodoro

Abstract

Collagen type V (COLV) has immunogenic and antigenic properties, and potential to become an autoantigen in several pathologies when exposed to the immune system. Our group has described an experimental model of systemic sclerosis (SSc) induced in rabbits immunized with COLV who develop skin and lung fibrosis, immune and vascular changes similar to the disease in humans. Recent works carried out in the laboratory have shown that patients with SSc have increased expression of COLV, COL5A2 gene and alpha2(V) chain in the skin and lungs, in the early stages of SSc, and that the anomalous deposit of this protein in the skin of patients correlates with the cutaneous thickening and disease activity. These results associate with the decrease in the inflammatory process, decrease of the fibrotic process in lung and skin and fibrogenic cytokines in the SSc model, after the COLV-nasal tolerance induction suggest the participation of COLV in autoimmunity and pathogenesis of SSc. This study aims to identify the portions of this protein with the greatest antigenic potential in the SSc evaluating the reactivity of COLV immune sera from patients with SSc, and sera from animals of the SSc model before and after induction of tolerance with COLV with the isolated alpha1(V) and alpha2(V) chains and COLV synthetic fragments. The determination of possible COLV epitopes important in the pathogenesis of SSc is of great value to the development of immunotherapeutic strategies with synthetic peptides, adjuvants in treating this disease. (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)

TEODORO, WALCY ROSOLIA; DE JESUS QUEIROZ, ZELITA APARECIDA; DOS SANTOS, LAIS ARAUJO; CATANOZI, SERGIO; DOS SANTOS FILHO, ANTONIO; BUENO, CLEONICE; VENDRAMINI, MARGARETE B. G.; FERNEZLIAN, SANDRA DE MORAIS; EHER, ESMERALDA M.; SAMPAIO-BARROS, PERCIVAL D.; PASOTO, SANDRA GOFINET; LOPES, FERNANDA DEGOBBI T. Q. S.; PEREIRA VELOSA, ANA PAULA; CAPELOZZI, VERA LUIZA. Proposition of a novel animal model of systemic sclerosis induced by type V collagen in C57BL/6 mice that reproduces fibrosis, vasculopathy and autoimmunity. ARTHRITIS RESEARCH & THERAPY, v. 21, n. 1 DEC 1 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.