Autoantibodies targeting telomere-associated proteins in systemic sclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune fibrotic disease affecting multiple tissues including the lung. A subset of patients with SSc with lung disease exhibit short telomeres in circulating lymphocytes, but the mechanisms underlying this observation are unclear.

Methods

Sera from the Johns Hopkins and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Scleroderma Centers were screened for autoantibodies targeting telomerase and the shelterin proteins using immunoprecipitation and ELISA. We determined the relationship between autoantibodies targeting the shelterin protein TERF1 and telomere length in peripheral leucocytes measured by qPCR and flow cytometry and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (Flow-FISH). We also explored clinical associations of these autoantibod

SUBMITTER: Adler BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8217217 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature