Autoantibodies to annexins: a diagnostic marker for cutaneous disorders?

Annexins/lipocortins are a group of structurally related calcium and lipid binding proteins which have been implicated as mediators of the anti-inflammatory action of corticosteroids. Autoantibodies against annexin-1 have been reported in association with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis and their presence has been hypothesized as the reason for the steroid resistance phenomenon. In this study we investigated IgG- and IgM-autoantibodies against annexin-1,-2,-3,-4,-5 and -6 in sera of 221 patients with skin disorders and 114 healthy blood donors with newly established ELISAs. Patients were clustered into 5 groups according to their diagnosis: autoimmune diseases, psoriasis, leg ulcer, malignant melanoma, and miscellaneous diseases. Autoantibodies directed against each annexin were detectable in all investigated groups, in the control group as well as in the disease groups, without displaying any significant correlation to any of the disease states. The homogenous distribution of annexin-autoantibodies throughout the control group and all the disease groups studied, do not support the implication of annexin-autoantibodies in pathophysiological states and make them an unlikely candidate for use as a diagnostic marker.