Autoantibodies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Adaptive immune responses are present in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it has been postulated that these processes could be autoreactive.

Objectives

To ascertain if humoral autoimmunity could play a role in COPD pathogenesis.

Methods

Circulating IgG autoantibodies were detected by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate intrapulmonary IgG and complement (C3) deposition in human lung explants. Autoantibody pathogenicity was also investigated with an antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity assay.

Measurements and main results

The prevalence of anti-HEp-2 epithelial cell autoantibodies in 47 smokers/former smokers with COPD (GOLD stages 1-4) was

SUBMITTER: Feghali-Bostwick CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2204079 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature