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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
10:16
Generation of Two-color Antigen Microarrays for the Simultaneous Detection of IgG and IgM Autoantibodies
Published on: September 15, 2016
Redox-reactive autoantibodies: biochemistry, characterization, and specificities
John A McIntyre1, W Page Faulk
1HLA-Vascular Biology Laboratory, St. Francis Hospital and Health Care Centers, Beech Grove, IN 46107, USA. john.mcintyre@ssfhs.org
Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology
|November 7, 2008
Summary
Oxidation-reduction reactions can reveal autoantibodies in healthy individuals, mimicking those in autoimmune diseases. This reversible process may be an innate immune mechanism for maintaining homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Autoantibodies are typically associated with autoimmune diseases.
- Physiological oxidants can reveal autoantibody activity in healthy individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions in unmasking autoantibody activity.
- To explore the potential of redox-modified autoantibodies as a component of innate immunity.
Main Methods:
- Oxidation of blood and body fluid samples.
- Laboratory comparisons of oxidized and non-oxidized IgG.
- Analysis of autoantibody specificities and alloantibody behavior.
Main Results:
- Redox reactions unmasked autoantibodies in healthy individuals, similar to those in autoimmune diseases.
- Physiological oxidants like hemin are implicated in this unmasking.
- Alloantibodies, such as anti-HLA, did not show similar oxidation-induced alterations.
Conclusions:
- Reversible oxidative conversions of antibody reactivity represent a potential innate humoral immunity resource.
- This mechanism may contribute to maintaining immunological homeostasis.
- Differences in antibody structure may explain varying susceptibility to redox-induced alterations.
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