Biomedical subjects

M N Manoussakis

Publications and source records attributed to M N Manoussakis.

41 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1987

High prevalence of anti-cardiolipin and other autoantibodies in a healthy elderly population.

Serum samples from 64 apparently healthy individuals (32 men and 32 women, mean age 81.0 years) were examined for the prevalence of several autoantibodies, including rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antibodies to extracted cellular antigens Ro (SSA), La (SSB), Sm, U1nRNP and Scl-70. IgG and IgM isotype-specific ELISA methods were applied for the detection of antibodies to ssDNA (anti-ssDNA), to dsDNA (anti-dsDNA) and to cardiolipin (anti-CL). The sera of this elderly population were found to contain a plethora of autoantibodies; RF was detected in 14.1%, ANA in 31.3% and anti-Ro (SSA) in 1.6% of the individuals. Precipitating antibodies to La (SSB), Sm, U1nRNP and Scl-70 were absent, while 15.6% of the sera displayed precipitating antibodies to a common undefined human spleen antigen. ELISA methods revealed anti-ssDNA in 17.2% of the individuals, anti-dsDNA in 14.1% and anti-CL in an extremely high incidence (51.6%). Notably, the above autoantibodies were exclusively of IgG isotype. Tests of 261 sera from healthy non-elderly individuals disclosed only anti-CL (IgG and IgM isotypes) in 2.3% of them. The levels of IgA and IgG immunoglobulins were increased in 23.4% and 29.7% of the elderly subjects, respectively. IgM was elevated in 3.1%, but it was also found decreased in 9.4%. This study documents the high incidence of autoantibodies in the healthy elderly, including for the first time, anti-CL antibodies. Furthermore, the relative impairment in IgM autoantibody production observed, possibly indicates the involution of the senescent immune system.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Cryoglobulinemia in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Evidence of circulating monoclonal cryoglobulins in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

The incidence and nature of cryoglobulins, as well as their correlation with the clinical and serologic picture of Sjögren's syndrome (SS), were studied in the sera of 30 consecutive primary SS patients. Sera from 29 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 58 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and 125 healthy blood donors were also studied. It was shown that one-third of the patients with SS had cryoglobulinemia. These cryoglobulins were mixed monoclonal IgM immunoglobulins, whereas those observed in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis patients were mixed polyclonal. The nature of the cryoglobulins was demonstrated using high-resolution electrophoresis combined with immunofixation. The presence of cryoglobulins in the sera of SS patients correlated with extraglandular disease and with antibodies to Ro (SS-A) and IgM rheumatoid factor. SS patients with cryoglobulins had lower serum C4 levels than did patients without cryoglobulins. These findings suggest that SS expresses, in addition to polyclonal B cell hyperreactivity, a monoclonal process in the absence of lymphoid neoplasia. Further, they show that the extraglandular manifestations of the syndrome may be due to an immune complex-mediated pathology.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Cryoglobulinemia in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a monoclonal process.

Patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome have in their sera and urine free light chains or monoclonal immunoglobulins. In addition, they have mixed monoclonal (IgM kappa) cryoglobulinemia, which is associated with extraglandular disease and greater incidence of autoantibodies. In the present study, it is demonstrated by a high resolution agarose gel electrophoresis, combined with immunofixation, that nine patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome have mixed monoclonal (IgM kappa) cryoglobulins, in contrast to those observed in five patients with secondary Sjögren's syndrome (Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis), 13 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and six patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, which were mixed polyclonal.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1986

Serological profiles in subgroups of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

The serological profiles of 54 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and 92 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with or without secondary SS (sSS), were retrospectively evaluated and correlated with: different subgroups of SS, degree of minor salivary gland biopsy lymphocytic infiltrates and the presence of glandular and extraglandular manifestations. Antibodies to nuclear antigens (ANA), anti-Ro(SSA) and anti-La(SSB) as well as rheumatoid factor (RF) correlate with definite pSS, while in RA, ANA and anti-Ro(SSA) are associated with the presence of sSS and anti-La(SSB) is practically absent. In pSS patients, the incidence of anti-Ro(SSA) and anti-La(SSB), as well as the titers of ANA and RF, correlate with the degree of salivary lymphocytic infiltrates in class 1+ to 3+. In class 4+, a substantial decrease of the autoantibodies is noted. In pSS patients, anti-Ro(SSA) and anti-La(SSB) correlate with earlier disease onset and longer disease duration, recurrent parotid gland enlargement (RPGE), as well as with the presence of extraglandular manifestations (extr. manif.) particularly splenomegaly/lymphadenopathy and vasculitis. Anti-Ro(SSA) correlates with positive Schirmer's test, ANA with decreased parotid flow rate and extr. manif., while RF correlates with RPGE and subjective xerostomia. In RA patients, autoantibodies were predominantly found in the presence of features of eye dryness: ANA correlate with positive Schirmer's test, Rose-Bengal stain and subjective xerophthalmia, the latter also correlated with anti-Ro(SSA). This study, re-emphasizes the diagnostic significance of autoantibodies for SS, and possibly contributes in the delineation of biological processes in this disease.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Enzyme immunoassays for the detection of IgG and IgM anti-dsDNA antibodies: clinical significance and specificity.

A solid phase Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was developed for the measurement of IgG and IgM antibodies to double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA). This method is sensitive, specific, relatively simple and suitable for routine use. Thus, we evaluated sera from 224 Greek patients with the following autoimmune rheumatic diseases: 54 patients with classical rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 50 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 41 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 30 patients with scleroderma, 20 patients with idiopathic Raynaud's phenomenon (IRP) and 29 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Sera from 119 age- and sex-matched healthy blood donors were tested as normal controls. The presence of both IgG and IgM anti-dsDNA highly correlated with SLE. However, IgM anti-dsDNA levels were significantly lower. Serum complement C3 and C4 levels correlated negatively with anti-dsDNA levels in the SLE group. Finally, in sequential sera from five SLE patients, the anti-dsDNA activity proved to be a relatively sensitive marker of SLE activity.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗