The Frequency of Serum Autoantibodies to the Epidermal Antigens among Normal Elderly People.
- Author:
Hyun Joong JOO
1
;
Ai Young LEE
;
Chang Woo LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Dermatology, Eulji Hospital School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. cwlee@email.nanyang.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Serum autoantibodies;
Epidermal antigens;
Normal elderly
- MeSH:
Aged*;
Antibodies;
Autoantibodies*;
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell;
Fluorescent Antibody Technique;
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect;
Humans;
Immunoblotting;
Immunoglobulin A;
Immunoglobulin G;
Membranes;
Pemphigoid, Bullous;
Pemphigus;
Skin
- From:Korean Journal of Dermatology
2001;39(4):402-406
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: One of the age-associated changes in immunity is the increase of autoantibodies due to dysregulation of the immune function. Anti-basement membrane zone antibodies were also reported to be found in the sera taken from normal elderly people. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the frequency of autoantibodies to the epidermal antigens in the sera among normal elderly people. METHODS:Indirect immunofluorescence using salt-split human skin and immunoblotting with extracts from epidermoid carcinoma cell line(A431) were performed using sera from forty elderly persons without any systemic disease. RESULTS: Among 40 elderly individuals, 3 cases(7.5%) were positive for anti-basement membrane zone IgG antibodies in indirect immunofluorescence, and the titers were 1:10 to 1:40 dilution factor. In immunoblottings, 4 cases(10%) were positive with epidermal antigens; 2 were positive against the 180kD protein with IgG and IgA autoantibodies, 1 showed positive bands at 230kD and 180kD antigens with IgG, and remaining one showed positive at 130kD antigen who had negative result in indirect immunofluorescence. CONCLUSION: Autoantibodies against epidermal antigens(bullous pemphigoid angigen[230/180kD] or pemphigus vulgaris antigen[130kD]) can be detected without any bullous cutaneous diseases among elderly people; possibly as an epiphenomenon of immunosenescence.
