Anti-human Hsp60 autoantibodies -known risk factor of atherosclerosis -were investigated in a mouse model and in samples of healthy subjects: polyreactivity, presence in cord blood samples of healthy newborns and life-long stability were tested. In IgM hybridoma panel from mouse spleens, polyreactivity of anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies was studied. In healthy pregnant women, umbilical vein and maternal blood samples were collected after childbirth, antiHsp-60 and -65 IgM and IgG levels were measured. Life-long stability of anti-Hsp-60 levels was studied on healthy patients during 5 years. ELISA was used in all studies. Polyreactivity of IgM clones of newborn mice and lifelong stability of these autoantibodies in healthy adults were established. IgM anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies in cord blood of healthy human infants were present, however, there was no correlation between maternal and cord blood IgM anti-Hsp60 concentrations. It is proposed that presence of anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies -as part of the natural autoantibody repertoire -may be an inherited trait. Level of anti-Hsp60 autoantibodies may be an independent, innate risk factor of atherosclerosis for the adulthood.

The influence of membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) on maternal and fetal outcome is controversial, as is the effect of pregnancy on the course of preexisting nephrotic syndrome. We report a case of successful management of a pregnancy with preexisting severe nephrotic syndrome due to biopsy-proven primary MGN. Our patient became pregnant in a non-compliance period, discontinued the nephrological follow-up program and her kidney disease decompensated. From the 22nd gestational week the patient was treated with intermittent pulses of methylprednisolone (250 mg i.v.) and a maintenance dose of 32–64 mg/day orally, along with azathioprine 100 mg/day. She also received antihypertensive, diuretic, and anticoagulant therapy, and supplementation with fresh frozen plasma and albumin. In the 33rd gestational week a cesarean section was performed due to deteriorating creatinine clearance, low serum total protein levels, increasing edema and progression of intrauterine growth retardation of the fetus. Three months after delivery, the patient’s renal disease went into complete remission. To our knowledge, this is the first report of using azathioprine during pregnancy with severe nephrotic syndrome due to primary MGN.