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Idiotypic and anti-idiotypic elastin autoantibodies: Implications for IVIg and pregnancy loss
Emiliana Konova1, Milena Atanasova, Svetlozar Stoykov
1Center of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital of Pleven, Pleven, Bulgaria. eikonova@abv.bg
Problem:
The aim of this study was to investigate anti-elastin and anti-anti-elastin autoantibodies in intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) lots as an attempt to further explain the effect of IVIg in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).
Method Of Study:
Serum samples of 10 female patients with RPL and 10 healthy subjects were tested for anti-elastin autoantibodies and used in competitive inhibition studies. A total of 44 IVIg lots (ZLB Behring, Switzerland) were tested for anti-elastin and anti-anti-elastin idiotypes. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Least Significant Difference (LSD method) were used for statistical analysis of differences between the lots.
Results:
Serum anti-elastin IgG autoantibodies were significantly higher in the study group, compared to the controls. In all lots anti-elastin IgG antibodies were identified. All lots (except two of them) showed similar dose-dependent inhibition of serum anti-elastin activity by anti-elastin anti-idiotypes in IVIg.
Conclusions:
Anti-elastin IgG autoantibodies were increased in patients with RPL - a finding which needs further explanation. Anti-elastin and anti-anti-elastin idiotypes were identified in different IVIg lots. The presence in IVIg of anti-idiotypes against anti-elastin autoantibodies from patients' sera could be an additional mechanism of the beneficial effect of IVIg in reproductive failure.
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