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IgA-alpha-1-antitrypsin complex in systemic lupus erythematosus: preliminary report

Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Karol Marcinkowski University School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland, Hochrhein Institute for Rheumatism Research and Prevention, Bad Saeckingen, Germany/Rheinfelden, Switzerland

T. Schochat

Hochrhein Institute for Rheumatism Research and Prevention, Bad Saeckingen, Germany/Rheinfelden, Switzerland

P. Leszczynski

Department of Rheumatology, Karol Marcinkowski School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland

S.H. Mackiewicz

Department of Rheumatology, Karol Marcinkowski School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland

W. Muller

Hochrhein Institute for Rheumatism Research and Prevention, Bad Saeckingen, Germany/Rheinfelden, Switzerland

To investigate the role of the complex IgA-alpha-1-antitrypsin (IgA-AT) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and its possible relations to either activity of the disease or a treatment, we examined a concentration of IgA-AT complex in 65 SLE and 9 MCTD sera. Complex IgA-AT was evaluated using a double antibody enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA).

Twenty nine patients with SLE (44.6%) and three patients with MCTD (33.3%) had increased serum IgA-AT levels. The mean values of IgA-AT complex in patients with SLE and MCTD were higher than in healthy controls. Among the SLE group, patients with current neurological manifestation were characterized by an increase in IgA-AT serum concentration (2.45 ± 2.07 U vs. 0.78 ± 0.70 U, P < 0.001).

No relation was found between this complex and ESR level, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, or hemoglobin level. Ten SLE patients were treated with CTX intravenously. In this group of patients, IgA-AT complex level was found to be increased compared with patients without such a treatment (1.82 ± 1.30 U vs. 0.80 ± 0.67 U, P <0.05).

The present study provides two new observations. Firstly, IgA-AT complex is increased in SLE and MCTD compared with healthy controls, and secondly, patients with CNS involvement displayed a striking increased IgA-AT level.

Key Words: IgA-AT complex • neurological involvement

Lupus, Vol. 4, No. 3, 221-224 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/096120339500400311


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