The Analysis of Anti-Endothelial Cell Antibody Expression in the Sera of Buerger's Disease Patients Using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of Buerger's disease is unknown and only smoking is considered as an important factor of the occurrence and recurrence of the disease. The development of antiendothelial cell antibody (AECA), a kind of autoantibody against the vascular endothelium, is recognized as a common serological feature in several diseases characterized by immune-mediated vascular damage. The purpose of this study is whether AECAs develop in the sera of patients of Buerger's disease or not and, if develop, to find what relationship exists between the status of the disease and the degree of AECA expression. METHODS: Twenty sera were obtained from 15 patients with Buerger's disease, and 11 from 11 healthy male smokers as controls. Additionally 5 sera from nonsmoking females and 4 from nonsmoking males were tested. Among 5 out of 15 Buerger's disease patients, the blood samples were obtained twice. Statistically there was no age difference between patients and controls. Human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured and used as the target of AECA. The expression of AECA was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and anti-human peroxidase conjugated goat IgG was used as a secondary antibody. RESULTS: The value of whole patient's group 666 60 vs. controls 88 10, there was statistically significant (P<0.05); a group of active disease status 797 61 vs. remission 423 60, higher in active group (P<0.05); smokers in patients 732 73 vs. quit-smokers 544 94, higher in smokers, but not significant; no difference was observed between healthy females and males regardless of smoking history. CONCLUSION: The AECA seems to be closely related with Buerger's disease and the measurement of AECA expression with ELISA may be considered as a useful tool for the diagnosis of Buerger's disease and as a helpful predictor of occurrence and relapse of the disease.