Identification of retroviral conserved pol sequences in serum of mixed connective tissue disease and systemic sclerosis patients.

Abstract

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) expression has been suspected as a factor participating in the development of autoimmune diseases. Employing the dot blot hybridisation, we observed that 90.9% of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) (n = 22) patients exhibited the presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) conserved pol sequence in DNA isolated from serum. The same investigation conducted in the group of systemic sclerosis (SSc) (n = 79) patients identified a conserved retroviral pol sequence in 34.6% of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) positive (n = 52) and 40.7% of ANA negative (n = 27) patients. However, 100% of anti-U1-ribonucleoprotein (RNP) positive SSc (n = 9) patients exhibited the presence of HIV-1 conserved pol sequence. Our findings suggest that the presence of retroviral sequence in serum of MCTD and SSc patients may correlate with development of autoimmune response directed against U1-70 kDa polypeptide antigen.

• Authors: Janusz Prokop, Pawel P Jagodzinski
• Journal: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie (Biomed Pharmacother) Vol. 58 Issue 1 Pg. 61-4 (Jan 2004) ISSN: 0753-3322 [Print] France
• PMID: 14739063 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Antinuclear
• Autoantigens
• Gene Products, pol
• Nuclear Proteins
• Ribonucleoprotein, U1 Small Nuclear
• Scl 70 antigen, human
• DNA Topoisomerases, Type I

Topics

• Antibodies, Antinuclear (blood)
• Autoantigens (immunology)
• Conserved Sequence
• DNA Topoisomerases, Type I
• Female
• Gene Products, pol (blood, genetics)
• HIV-1 (enzymology, genetics)
• Humans
• Male
• Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (blood, enzymology, genetics)
• Nuclear Proteins (immunology)
• Ribonucleoprotein, U1 Small Nuclear (immunology)
• Scleroderma, Systemic (blood, enzymology, genetics)