Ryosuke Sogame

Anti-NXP2 autoantibodies in adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: possible association with malignancy

Objectives Myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) are useful tools for identifying clinically homogeneous subsets and predicting prognosis of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) including polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM). Recent studies have shown that anti-NXP2 antibody (Ab) is a major MSA in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). In this study the frequencies and clinical associations of anti-NXP2 Ab were evaluated in adult patients with IIM. Methods Clinical data and serum samples were collected from 507 adult Japanese patients with IIM (445 with DM and 62 with PM). Eleven patients with JDM, 108 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 433 with systemic sclerosis and 124 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were assessed as disease controls. Serum was examined for anti-NXP2 Ab by immunoprecipitation and western blotting using polyclonal anti-NXP2 Ab. Results Seven patients (1.6%) with adult DM and one (1.6%) with adult PM were positive for anti-NXP2 Ab. Except for two patients with JDM, none of the disease controls were positive for this autoantibody. Among eight adult patients with IIM, three had internal malignancies within 3 years of diagnosis of IIM. Another patient with DM also had a metastatic cancer at the diagnosis. All of the carcinomas were at an advanced stage (stage IIIb–IV). Conclusions While less common than in juvenile IIM, anti-NXP2 Ab was found in adult IIM. Anti-NXP2 Ab may be associated with adult IIM with malignancy.

Clinical and immunological findings in 104 cases of paraneoplastic pemphigus

Although there are many reports of sporadic patients with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), only a few systematic studies on large cohorts of patients with PNP have been reported.

Five Japanese cases of antidesmoglein 1 antibody‐positive and antidesmoglein 3 antibody‐negative pemphigus with oral lesions

Background  Oral mucosal lesions develop in pemphigus vulgaris, but not in pemphigus foliaceus. This clinical phenomenon is explained by the ‘desmoglein (Dsg) compensation theory’. Dsg3 and Dsg1 are major autoantigens for pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus, respectively. Dsg3 is overexpressed and Dsg1 is weakly expressed on the oral mucosa. Thus, on the oral mucosa, suppression of Dsg3 function by anti‐Dsg3 autoantibodies is not compensated by weakly expressed Dsg1 in pemphigus vulgaris, while suppression of Dsg1 function by anti‐Dsg1 autoantibodies is perfectly compensated by richly expressed Dsg3 in pemphigus foliaceus.

Anti-Alpha-2-Macroglobulin-Like-1 Autoantibodies Are Detected Frequently and May Be Pathogenic in Paraneoplastic Pemphigus

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) shows autoantibodies mainly to plakin and desmosomal cadherin family proteins. We have recently identified alpha-2-macroglobulin-like-1 (A2ML1), a broad range protease inhibitor, as a unique PNP antigen. In this study, we tested a large number of PNP sera by various methods. Forty (69.0%) of 58 PNP sera recognized A2ML1 recombinant protein expressed in COS7 cells by immunofluorescence (IF) and/or immunoprecipitation (IP)/immunoblotting (IB). IP/IB showed higher sensitivity than IF. In addition, 22 (37.9%) PNP sera reacted with A2ML1 by IB of cultured normal human keratinocytes (NHKs) under non-reducing conditions. Statistical analyses using various clinical and immunological data showed that the presence of anti-A2ML1 autoantibodies was associated with early disease onset and absence of ocular lesions. Next, to investigate the pathogenic role of anti-A2ML1 antibody, we performed additional functional studies. Addition of anti-A2ML1 polyclonal antibody to culture media decreased NHK cell adhesion examined by dissociation assay, and increased plasmin activity detected by casein zymography, suggesting that anti-A2ML1 antibody may decrease NHK cell adhesion through plasmin activation by inhibition of A2ML1. This study demonstrates that autoantibodies to A2ML1 are frequently and specifically detected and may have a pathogenic role in PNP.

Interaction of plectin and intermediate filaments.

BACKGROUND Plectin, a member of the plakin family proteins, is a high molecular weight protein that is ubiquitously expressed. It acts as a cytolinker for the three major components of the cyotoskeleton, namely actin microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments. OBJECTIVE The aim of our experiments was to identify new binding sites for intermediate filaments on plectin and to specify these sites. METHODS We introduced truncated forms of plectin into several cell lines and observe interaction between plectin and intermediate filaments. RESULTS We found that a linker region in the COOH-terminal end of plectin was required for the association of the protein with intermediate filaments. In addition, we also demonstrated that a serine residue at position 4645 of plectin may have a role on binding of plectin to intermediate filaments. CONCLUSION A linker region in the COOH-terminal end and serine residue at position 4645 may be important for the binding of plectin to intermediate filaments.

Clinical and immunological profiles of anti-BP230-type bullous pemphigoid: Restriction of epitopes to the C-terminal domain of BP230, shown by novel ELISAs of BP230-domain specific recombinant proteins

ObjectivesTo confirm that sera from some BP patients reactive exclusively to the BP230 and to study the clinical and immunological characteristics of this condition.Materials and methodsBP patients were divided into three groups: BP reactive only to BP230 (BP230- BP), BP reactive to both BP180 and BP230 (BP180-BP230-BP) and BP reactive only to BP180 (BP180-BP), based on the results of standard ELISAs for BP180 and BP230. Clinical features were statistically analyzed among the three groups. Then, targeted epitopes in each group were studied by immunoblotting and novel ELISAs using three domainspecific BP230 recombinant proteins.ResultsForty-one, 65 and 47 of 153 BP patients were categorized as BP230-BP, BP180-BP230-BP and BP180-BP, respectively. Clinically, BP230-BP patients showed significantly lower severity, less need of systemic steroids and better responses to various treatments, suggesting that BP230-BP is a milder condition. Immunoblotting and ELISAs of domain-specific BP230 recombinant proteins indicated that, while BP180-BP230-BP sera reacted with all three domains of BP230, BP230-BP sera reacted more frequently with epitopes in the BP230 C-terminal domain.ConclusionWe propose a new disease entity, named anti-BP230-type BP, in which anti-BP230 antibodies might be pathogenic and react specifically with the BP230 C-terminal domain. While anti-BP230 antibodies in BP180-BP230-BP seem to be produced via intermolecular epitope spreading, anti-BP230 antibodies in BP230-BP are considered to be produced by different mechanisms.

Clinical and immunological profiles in 17 Japanese patients with drug-induced pemphigus studied at Kurume University

Drug‐induced pemphigus (DIP) shows clinical, histopathological and immunological features of pemphigus. However, little is known about immunological profiles in DIP.

Immunological and statistical studies of anti-BP180 antibodies in paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Abbreviations: BMZ, basement membrane zone; BP, bullous pemphigoid; HaCaT, concentrated culture supernatant of HaCaT cells; IB, immunoblotting; IF, immunofluorescence; PNP, paraneoplastic pemphigus; RP, recombinant protein

Linear IgA/IgG bullous dermatosis reacts with multiple laminins and integrins

BackgroundSince the original description by Zone et al in 1994, the disease entity and target antigens in linear IgA/IgG bullous dermatosis (LAGBD) have not been clarified in 20 years.ObjectivesTo determine autoantibodies and autoantigens in a new LAGBD case which showed atypical clinical and histopathological findings without apparent mucosal involvement.Materials and MethodsWe performed various indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblotting studies.ResultsIndirect immunofluorescence of 1M NaCl-split skin showed IgG and IgA reactivity with both epidermal and dermal sides. Immunoblotting studies using various antigen sources revealed circulating IgG and IgA antibodies reactive with laminin-332, laminin-γ1 and integrin α6β4 in various patterns. Absorption study using recombinant proteins of laminin-γ1 indicated that the patient serum reacted with different epitopes between laminin-γ1 and laminin-γ2.ConclusionsThis study presented for the first time a LAGBD patient with IgG and IgA antibodies to various laminins and integrins.

A case of oral mucous membrane pemphigoid with IgG antibodies to integrin α6β4

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