Browsing by Author "Andre, S."

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    Autoantibodies against galectin-8: their specificity, association with lymphopenia in systemic lupus erythematosus and detection in rheumatoid arthritis and acute inflammation
    (SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2009) Massardo, L.; Metz, C.; Pardo, E.; Mezzano, V.; Babul, M.; Jarpa, E.; Guzman, A. M.; Andre, S.; Kaltner, H.; Gabius, H. J.; Jacobelli, S.; Gonzalez, A.; Soza, A.
    The role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been completely defined. From more than a hundred autoantibodies described in SLE, relatively few have been associated with clinical manifestations. The glycan-binding proteins of the galectin family can modulate the immune system. Anti-galectin autoantibodies thus could have functional and/or pathogenic implications in inflammatory processes and autoimmunity. We previously reported function-blocking autoantibodies against galectin-8 (Gal-8) in SLE. Here we tested these autoantibodies against a series of other human galectins and demonstrated their specificity for Gal-8, being detectable in 23% of 78 SLE patients. Remarkably, they associated with lymphopenia (50% of 18 anti-Gal-8-positive versus 18% of 60 anti-Gal-8-negativecases, Fisher's Exact test two-tailed: P < 0.012). Lymphopenia is a common clinical manifestation in SLE, yet of unknown mechanism. In addition, six of eight patients with both lymphopenia and malar rash had anti-Gal-8 in their sera. Occurrence of these autoantibodies was not confined to SLE as we also found them in sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (16%) and septicemia (20%). This study thus establishes occurrence of specific anti-Gal-8 autoantibodies in autoimmune rheumatic diseases and in acute inflammation, with an apparent association to a clinical subset in SLE. Lupus (2009) 18, 539-546.