Elucidation of novel pathogenic mechanism for skin diseases related to misfolded HLA

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15419
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Dermatology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Noriko Arase 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (30360481)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KATAYAMA Ichiro 大阪大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (80191980) ; AZUKIZAWA Hiroaki 奈良県立医科大学, 大学院医学研究科, 准教授 (10379240) ; ARASE Hisashi 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 教授 (10261900)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: β2GPI / HLA Class II / ulcer / autoantibody

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our research revealed that cellular misfolded proteins associated with HLA Class II, and the autoantibodies against these complexes seems to have pathogenic roles in certain autoimmune diseases.
Chronic ulcers are sometimes idiopathic and intractable. When we analyzed chronic ulcer patients who were not diagnosed as antiphospholipid syndrome, 27% of the patients possessed anti-β2GPI/HLA-DR complex Abs. Furthermore, β2GPI/HLA-DR complexes were observed in the skin region prior to ulceration. These results shows that anti-β2GPI/HLA-DR complex Abs plays an important role in intractable chronic ulcers. Antibodies against misfoleded HLA Class I/HLA Class II complex are observed in a certain skin disease, and these antibodies are considered to be found in other skin diseases.

Free Research Field

皮膚科学