eprintid: 10184013
rev_number: 8
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/18/40/13
datestamp: 2023-12-19 14:09:11
lastmod: 2023-12-19 16:31:40
status_changed: 2023-12-19 14:09:11
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Esposito, Ilaria
creators_name: Kontra, Ioanna
creators_name: Giacomassi, Chiara
creators_name: Manou-Stathopoulou, Sotiria
creators_name: Brown, James
creators_name: Stratton, Richard
creators_name: Verykokou, Galateia
creators_name: Buccafusca, Roberto
creators_name: Stevens, Michael
creators_name: Nissim, Ahuva
creators_name: Lewis, Myles J
creators_name: Pfeffer, Paul E
title: Identification of autoantigens and their potential post-translational modification in EGPA and severe eosinophilic asthma
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C10
divisions: D17
keywords: Eosinophil, autoantibodies, autoantigens, oxidative modification, diagnostic test, TREM1, eosinophil peroxidase, NETosis
note: © 2023 Esposito, Kontra, Giacomassi, Manou-Stathopoulou, Brown, Stratton, Verykokou, Buccafusca, Stevens, Nissim, Lewis and Pfeffer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
abstract: BACKGROUND: 
The chronic airway inflammation in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) suggests potential autoimmune aetiology with unidentified autoantibodies analogous to myeloperoxidase (MPO) in ANCA-positive EGPA (eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis). Previous research has shown that oxidative post-translational modification (oxPTM) of proteins is an important mechanism by which autoantibody responses may escape immune tolerance. Autoantibodies to oxPTM autoantigens in SEA have not previously been studied.


METHODS: 
Patients with EGPA and SEA were recruited as well as healthy control participants. Autoantigen agnostic approach: Participant serum was incubated with slides of unstimulated and PMA-stimulated neutrophils and eosinophils, and autoantibodies to granulocytes were identified by immunofluorescence with anti-human IgG FITC antibody. Target autoantigen approach: Candidate proteins were identified from previous literature and FANTOM5 gene set analysis for eosinophil expressed proteins. Serum IgG autoantibodies to these proteins, in native and oxPTM form, were detected by indirect ELISA.


RESULTS: 
Immunofluorescence studies showed that serum from patients with known ANCA stained for IgG against neutrophils as expected. In addition, serum from 9 of 17 tested SEA patients stained for IgG to PMA-stimulated neutrophils undergoing NETosis. Immunofluorescent staining of eosinophil slides was evident with serum from all participants (healthy and with eosinophilic disease) with diffuse cytoplasmic staining except for one SEA individual in whom subtle nuclear staining was evident. FANTOM5 gene set analysis identified TREM1 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1) and IL-1 receptor 2 (IL1R2) as eosinophil-specific targets to test for autoantibody responses in addition to MPO, eosinophil peroxidase (EPX), and Collagen-V identified from previous literature. Indirect ELISAs found high concentrations of serum autoantibodies to Collagen-V, MPO, and TREM1 in a higher proportion of SEA patients than healthy controls. High concentrations of serum autoantibodies to EPX were evident in serum from both healthy and SEA participants. The proportion of patients with positive autoantibody ELISAs was not increased when examining oxPTM compared to native proteins.


DISCUSSION: 
Although none of the target proteins studied showed high sensitivity for SEA, the high proportion of patients positive for at least one serum autoantibody shows the potential of more research on autoantibody serology to improve diagnostic testing for severe asthma.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:  
ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier, NCT04671446.
date: 2023-06-02
date_type: published
publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
official_url: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1164941
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 2030750
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1164941
medium: Electronic-eCollection
lyricists_name: Brown, James
lyricists_name: Stratton, Richard
lyricists_id: JBROW64
lyricists_id: RJSTR00
actors_name: Brown, James
actors_id: JBROW64
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: Frontiers in Immunology
volume: 14
article_number: 1164941
pages: 14
event_location: Switzerland
issn: 1664-3224
citation:        Esposito, Ilaria;    Kontra, Ioanna;    Giacomassi, Chiara;    Manou-Stathopoulou, Sotiria;    Brown, James;    Stratton, Richard;    Verykokou, Galateia;                     ... Pfeffer, Paul E; + view all <#>        Esposito, Ilaria;  Kontra, Ioanna;  Giacomassi, Chiara;  Manou-Stathopoulou, Sotiria;  Brown, James;  Stratton, Richard;  Verykokou, Galateia;  Buccafusca, Roberto;  Stevens, Michael;  Nissim, Ahuva;  Lewis, Myles J;  Pfeffer, Paul E;   - view fewer <#>    (2023)    Identification of autoantigens and their potential post-translational modification in EGPA and severe eosinophilic asthma.                   Frontiers in Immunology , 14     , Article 1164941.  10.3389/fimmu.2023.1164941 <https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1164941>.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10184013/1/Identification%20of%20autoantigens%20and%20their%20potential%20post-translational%20modification%20in%20EGPA%20and%20severe%20eosinophilic%20asthma.pdf