Pregnant women have increased incidence of IgE autoantibodies reactive with the skin and placental antigen BP180 (type XVII collagen)

Megan H Noe; Kelly A.N Messingham; Debra S Brandt; Janet I Andrews; Janet A Fairley

doi:10.1016/j.jri.2010.03.005

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Pregnant women have increased incidence of IgE autoantibodies reactive with the skin and placental antigen BP180 (type XVII collagen)

Journal article

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Pregnant women have increased incidence of IgE autoantibodies reactive with the skin and placental antigen BP180 (type XVII collagen)

Megan H Noe, Kelly A.N Messingham, Debra S Brandt, Janet I Andrews and Janet A Fairley

Journal of Reproductive Immunology, Vol.85(2), pp.198-204

2010

DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2010.03.005

PMCID: PMC5242378

PMID: 20471095

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Abstract

BP180 (type XVII collagen) is a transmembrane protein expressed in a variety of cell types. It is also the target of autoantibodies in cutaneous autoimmune disease including bullous pemphigoid and pemphigoid gestationis, a disease unique to pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and specificity of cutaneous autoantibodies in a cohort of pregnant women. De-identified sera were collected from pregnant women ( n = 299) and from non-pregnant controls ( n = 134). Sera were analyzed by ELISA for the presence of IgG and IgE autoantibodies directed against several cutaneous autoantigens. IgE antibodies against the NC16A domain of BP180 were detected in 7.7% of pregnant women, compared to 2.2% of healthy controls ( p = 0.01). No increase in total or cutaneous autoantigen specific IgG was seen. Total serum IgE was within the normal range. Full-length BP180 was detected by western immunoblot in epidermal, keratinocyte, placental and cytotrophoblast (CTB) cell lysates. Furthermore, flow cytometry and indirect immunofluorescence confirmed the expression of BP180 on the surface of cultured CTBs. Finally, it was demonstrated that IgE antibodies in the pregnancy sera labeled not only cultured CTBs, but also the placental amnion and cutaneous basement membrane zone using indirect immunofluorescence. We conclude that some pregnant women develop antibodies specific for BP180, and that these autoantibodies are capable of binding both CTB and the placental amnion, potentially affecting placental function.

Autoimmunity

Pregnancy

Autoantibody

Type XVII collagen

IgE

Details

Title: Subtitle: Pregnant women have increased incidence of IgE autoantibodies reactive with the skin and placental antigen BP180 (type XVII collagen)
Creators: Megan H Noe - Department of Dermatology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Kelly A.N Messingham - Department of Dermatology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Debra S Brandt - Department of Dermatology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Janet I Andrews - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Janet A Fairley - Department of Dermatology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of Reproductive Immunology, Vol.85(2), pp.198-204
DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2010.03.005
PMID: 20471095
PMCID: PMC5242378
NLM abbreviation: J Reprod Immunol
ISSN: 0165-0378
eISSN: 1872-7603
Publisher: Elsevier Ireland Ltd
Language: English
Date published: 2010
Academic Unit: Dermatology; Obstetrics and Gynecology
Record Identifier: 9983930272002771

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