Proteomic analysis of human brain identifies alpha-enolase as a novel autoantigen in Hashimoto's encephalopathy

FEBS Lett. 2002 Sep 25;528(1-3):197-202. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03307-0.

Abstract

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare autoimmune disease associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). To identify the HE-related autoantigens, we developed a human brain proteome map using two-dimensional electrophoresis and applied it to the immuno-screening of brain proteins that react with autoantibodies in HE patients. After sequential MALDI-TOF-MASS analysis, immuno-positive spots of 48 kDa (pI 7.3-7.8) detected from HE patient sera were identified as a novel autoimmuno-antigen, alpha-enolase, harboring several modifications. Specific high reactivities against human alpha-enolase were significant in HE patients with excellent corticosteroid sensitivity, whereas the patients with fair or poor sensitivity to the corticosteroid treatment showed less reactivities than cut-off level. Although a few HT patients showed faint reactions to alpha-enolase, 95% of HT patients, patients with other neurological disorders, and healthy subjects tested were all negative. These results suggest that the detection of anti-alpha-enolase antibody is useful for defining HE-related pathology, and this proteomic strategy is a powerful method for identifying autoantigens of various central nervous system diseases with unknown autoimmune etiologies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Autoantigens / genetics*
  • Brain / enzymology*
  • Brain / immunology*
  • Brain Diseases / enzymology*
  • Brain Diseases / immunology*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Mapping
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / genetics*
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / immunology*
  • Proteome
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / enzymology*
  • Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / immunology*

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Autoantigens
  • Proteome
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase