| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Eight years ago, we discovered a novel autoantibody ; anti-carbonic anhydrase (CA) antibody in sera from patients with collagen diseases as a serendipitous finding. Since then, the analysis and frequency of antibody, the analyses of antigen natures have been continuously explored in our group and also in other groups -in the world. Using the ELISA method, we screened the serum anti CA-Il antibody in 109 Japanese collagen disease patients. The positive results were obtained in 24.1% of SLE sera, 16.7% of PSS, 20.0% of Sjogren's syndrome and 25.0% of dermatomyositis.
To explore the epitope-peptides of CA-I and II, the epitope-mapping was performed. We prepared peptide-antigens from P-1 to P-21 of CA-I, and from P-1 to P-20 of CA-II. Using these peptides, antibody was screened in sera from collagen diseases, applying the ELISA method. As results, the specific antibodies of CA-I were presented against P-1 and 2 in SLE, against P-1 in PSS, and against P-4 in Sjogren's syndrome. Furthremore, antibodies were detected against P-2 and 8 in SLE, P-8 and 15 in PSS, P-2 and 8 in Sjogrens syndrome, and P-8 in dermatomyositis using peptides from CA-Il. The antibody against P-20 was common epitope among sera from the collagen diseases and healthy volunteers.
In two cases of SLE, the epitope-spreading was observed in the course of several years. The next step is to find out and analyze some pathogenic epitopes in these diseases.
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