Shimazaki Kaori, Jirawuthiworavong Guy V, Heckenlively John R, Gordon Lynn K
Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
J Neuroophthalmol. 2008 Mar;28(1):5-11. doi: 10.1097/WNO.0b013e318167549f.
Anti-retinal antibodies have been described in the context of autoimmune retinopathies and are often presumed to be pathogenic or disease associated. However, full characterization of patterns of anti-retinal antibody reactivity in normal human serum has been limited. The purpose of this work was to identify the profile of anti-retinal IgG antibodies in serum used as controls in laboratory testing.
Normal human sera used in commercial diagnostic laboratories were tested for the presence of immunoreactivity against soluble human retinal proteins using Western blot analysis of fractionated soluble human retinal proteins. Reactivity was quantified using computerized densitometry, and the level of reactivity was standardized relative to a control positive serum with known reactivity against recoverin.
Some anti-retinal reactivity was observed in the majority of all tested normal sera. Reactivity against one to two protein bands was observed in 33%. Reactivity against five or more distinct bands was observed in 22%. There was a tendency for serum from women to react with three or more protein bands compared with serum from men.
The presence of anti-retinal antibodies is observed in a majority of normal control human sera, suggesting that identification of new candidate retinal autoantigens should be cautiously interpreted and subject to rigorous testing for disease association. Additional studies will aid development of a standardized protocol for validation of potential pathogenic seroreactivity.
抗视网膜抗体已在自身免疫性视网膜病的背景下被描述，并且通常被认为具有致病性或与疾病相关。然而，对正常人血清中抗视网膜抗体反应模式的全面表征一直有限。这项工作的目的是确定在实验室检测中用作对照的血清中抗视网膜IgG抗体的概况。
使用分级分离的可溶性人视网膜蛋白的蛋白质印迹分析，检测商业诊断实验室中使用的正常人血清对可溶性人视网膜蛋白的免疫反应性。使用计算机密度测定法定量反应性，并相对于已知对恢复蛋白有反应性的对照阳性血清对反应水平进行标准化。
在所有测试的正常血清中，大多数都观察到了一些抗视网膜反应性。33%的血清观察到对一到两条蛋白带的反应性。22%的血清观察到对五条或更多不同条带的反应性。与男性血清相比，女性血清倾向于与三条或更多蛋白带发生反应。
在大多数正常对照人血清中观察到抗视网膜抗体的存在，这表明对新的候选视网膜自身抗原的鉴定应谨慎解释，并需对疾病关联性进行严格测试。进一步的研究将有助于制定标准化方案，以验证潜在的致病性血清反应性。
