Autoantibody production from a thymoma and a follicular dendritic cell sarcoma associated with paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is an autoimmune mucocutaneous disease. We previously reported that B cells in a Castleman tumour associated with PNP produced autoantibodies. However, it is uncertain whether the production of autoantibodies from the associated tumour is a common mechanism in PNP.

OBJECTIVES:

To investigate autoantibody production in a thymoma and a follicular dendritic cell sarcoma that were excised from two patients with PNP.

METHODS:

Tumour cells were cultured, and their surface markers were identified. Indirect immunofluorescence, immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using culture media from the tumours were used to detect PNP autoantibodies.

RESULTS:

B cells with markers (CD22+, surface membrane IgG+ and surface membrane IgM+) of mature B lymphocytes constituted a proportion of cultured tumour cells in both tumours. Western blot showed that the medium from both the thymoma and the follicular dendritic cell sarcoma cells recognized 190-kDa periplakin and 210-kDa envoplakin bands of human epithelial proteins as well as recombinant linker regions of periplakin, envoplakin, desmoplakin and bullous pemphigoid antigen 1. ELISA was positive for antidesmoglein 3 antibody.

CONCLUSIONS:

The presence and localization in tumours of B-lymphocyte clones against proteins of the plakin family and desmoglein 3 in skin may not be confined to PNP with Castleman disease, but is possibly a common mechanism in PNP associated with various tumours.

• Authors: J Wang, D F Bu, T Li, R Zheng, B X Zhang, X X Chen, X J Zhu
• Journal: The British journal of dermatology (Br J Dermatol) Vol. 153 Issue 3 Pg. 558-64 (Sep 2005) ISSN: 0007-0963 [Print] England
• PMID: 16120143 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Autoantibodies
• Biomarkers
• Carrier Proteins
• Cytoskeletal Proteins
• DSP protein, human
• DST protein, human
• Desmoglein 3
• Desmogleins
• Desmoplakins
• Dystonin
• Membrane Proteins
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Plakins
• Ppl protein, mouse
• Protein Precursors
• envoplakin

Topics

• Adult
• Autoantibodies (analysis)
• B-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Biomarkers (analysis)
• Blotting, Western
• Carrier Proteins (immunology)
• Cytoskeletal Proteins (immunology)
• Dendritic Cells, Follicular (immunology)
• Desmoglein 3
• Desmogleins
• Desmoplakins
• Dystonin
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
• Humans
• Immunophenotyping
• Membrane Proteins (immunology)
• Middle Aged
• Nerve Tissue Proteins (immunology)
• Paraneoplastic Syndromes (immunology, pathology)
• Pemphigus (immunology)
• Plakins
• Protein Precursors (immunology)
• Retroperitoneal Neoplasms (immunology, pathology)
• Sarcoma (immunology, pathology)
• Thymoma (immunology, pathology)
• Thymus Neoplasms (immunology, pathology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured