Autoantibodies to cartilage collagens in relapsing polychondritis

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis is a systemic disease associated with a destruction of cartilage in various parts of the body. Sera from six patients with relapsing polychondritis and one patient with microscopic polyarteritis nodosa as well as from six controls were analyzed by immunoblotting and ELISA. All patients had autoantibodies against native collagens II and IX. The serum from one patient showed a strong reaction with all three collagen chains of the high molecular weight fraction of collagen IX after denaturation; sera from four patients showed autoantibodies against alpha 2 (XI) and sera from three patients showed autoantibodies against the covalently cross-linked gamma component of collagen XI. The presence of autoantibodies against collagens II, IX, and XI, which form the major fibrillar scaffold in cartilage and mediate the interaction of collagen fibrils and proteoglycan, suggests that autoantibodies against cartilaginous collagen may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of relapsing polychondritis and microscopic polyarteritis nodosa.

Relapsing polychondritis: a review

“…They are generated against native and denatured collagen type II and collagen types IX and XI [15], which form the major extracellular scaffold in the cartilage. Studies [16,17] have shown that 33 % of patients with RP had circulating antibodies to type II collagen in the active phase of the disease and their titres also corresponded to disease activity.…”

Auricular chondritis in NOD.DQ8.Aβo (Ag7–/–) transgenic mice resembles human relapsing polychondritis

“…Cell-mediated immunity and anti-CII-specific Ab's have been observed in both RA and RP patients (12)(13)(14). In addition to CII, there is evidence of T cell responses and Ab's to type IX (CIX) and type XI (CXI) collagen in RP patients (15,16).…”

Bilateral necrotizing scleritis and blindness in the myelodysplastic syndrome presumably due to relapsing polychondritis

“…Laboratory parameters are not helpful in differential diagnosis, since in RPC there is no clear-cut or consistent laboratory abnormality. In some patients with RPC autoantibodies against collagen have been found, but these are obviously not restricted to this disease (Yang et al 1993).…”