Detection of antibodies to human nerve antigens in sera from leprosy patients by ELISA

Abstract

SUMMARYAnti-neural antibodies have been implicated to play a role in the pathogenesis of nerve damage in leprosy patients. To find the relationship between anti-neural antibodies and clinical findings, we attempted to detect antibodies against iieurofilament-enriched proteins by ELISA in ,sera from leprosy patients. Of 2S9 sera frotn leprosy patients, 74 (256''..) had signilicant anti-neural antibodies; ineontrasl. 1 (50".,.) of 20 tuberculosis patients and II (71%) of 154 controls were seroreactive lo nerve antigen. When clinical types were considered, a significant level of anti-ncural IgG antibodies was detectable in 53(30 !"•;,) of 176 sera from lepromatous patients compared with 21 (18 6";0of 113 ,'«:ra from tuberculoid palients, indicating that lepromatous palients were more likely to be seropositive to nerve antigens in ELISA. Some of the ELlSA-reactive sera showed antibody reactivity with 38-kD. 40-kD and 43-kD nerve antigens in Western blotting analysis. There was no apparent correlation between seroreactivity to nerve antigens and bacterial load in leprosy patients. Although there was no statistical significance, anti-neural antibodies were detectable more often aiuonij; ilic patients on chemotherapy ihan the untreated and among the patients with erythema nodosum leprosum than without. The results, therefore, suggest that anti-neural antibodies are elicited during the course of leprosy and may be associated with the extensiveness of nerve involvement in the patienis.

Leprosy and women

“…Autoimmune disorders of the ovary often cause ovarian dysfunction, resulting in irregularity of the menstrual cycle and infertility ( Nandedkar and Wadia, 1998 , Nelson et al, 2005 ). MB leprosy is often associated with an autoimmune phenomenon with various autoantibodies, such as anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), A-ANCA, anti-mitochondrial antibodies, and anti-phospholipid antibodies, found in the sera of patients ( Freire et al, 1998 , Garcia-De La Torre, 1993 , Guedes Barbosa et al, 1996 , Park et al, 1992 ). Hence, it has been suggested that autoantibodies directed against components of the ovary might be a cause of ovarian failure.…”

Menstrual irregularities, fertility status, and ovarian function in female patients with leprosy in India

“…Interestingly, MB leprosy is often associated with autoimmune phenomenon, and a number of autoantibodies have been demonstrated . Several antibodies, for example anti‐neural antibodies, A‐ANCA, anti‐mitochondrial antibodies and anti‐phospholipid antibodies have been frequently demonstrated in the sera of patients with leprosy. Antibodies to spermatozoa have been reported in both LL and TT by highly specific techniques, but there was no correlation with type of leprosy .…”

Autoantibodies to cerebroside sulphate (sulphatide) in leprosy

“…For instance, anti-peripheral nerve protein antibodies (both IgG and IgM) were rarely found in sera and did not correlate to disease activity or the pathogenesis of nerve damage [18]. In another study, antibodies to neurofilament-enriched proteins were detected more frequently, but still in only 30% of sera from lepromatous leprosy patients [19]: these were IgG antibodies which appear to predominate against proteins of molecular mass below around 40 kD [18,19].…”