Target antigens for perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in Iranian patients with ulcerative colitis

Patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] carry autoantibodies such as perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies [p-ANCA]. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the target antigens for p-ANCA in Iranian patients with UC. p-ANCA target antigens including elastase, lactoferrin, cathepsin G, myeloproxidase, lysozyme, and bactericidal permeability increasing protein [BPI] were determined in 113 patients with UC using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. 59.2% of the patients were positive for at least one antigen and p-ANCA directed against lactoferrin, elastase, lysozyme, cathepsin G, Bactericidal permeability increasing protein, and myeloproxidase in 31.5%, 25.9%, 8.3%, 7.4%, 5.6%, and 0% of the patients, respectively. The highest prevalence of p-ANCA was observed against lactoferrin and elastase. Also, myeloproxidase was not an antigen for p-ANCA among our patients

Mycobacterial antibodies against BCG and M.tuberculosis H37RA do not recognize pathogenic M.tuberculosis cells but do recognize their cytoplasmic constituents

The humoral immune response against mycobacterial pathogens and BCG vaccine is still poorly understood. It is not known if antibodies raised against BCG react with all pathogenic M. tuberculosis strains. The question arose during the development of a tuberculosis detection system based on antibodies. It was found that antibodies raised against cells of avirulent TB strain H37Ra and against whole sonicates of BCG do not react consistently with whole cells of pathogenic TB strains and very poorly with whole BCG cells. These antibodies; however, react very well with the internal components of the BCG cell [i.e. A 60 and cytoplasmic constituents]