We have studied the specificity of antiphospholipid antibodies in 148 patients with autoimmune diseases, 120 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 28 with the primary antiphospholipid syndrome. In addition, 20 patients suffering from syphilis were studied. As a control group, 64 healthy volunteers were investigated. Patient and control serum samples were tested for binding to seven different phospholipid antigens by ELISA. Interestingly, 90% of the sera from syphilis patients and 6% of the autoimmune patients exhibited a significant binding to platelet-activating factor (PAF), a molecule similar to the structure of phosphatidylcholine. In addition, the IgG fraction from one of the lupus patients, which showed a high binding activity to PAF, was further affinity-purified using both liposomes and an affinity chromatography column. Preincubation of these antibodies with PAF inhibited subsequent binding to immobilized PAF. These observations might suggest a putative interaction of antiphospholipid autoantibodies with PAF 'in vivo', which may have, in some patients, important pathophysiological consequences.
Harris ENSyndrome of the black swan. Br J Rheumatol1987; 26: 324-6.
2.
Asherson RA, Khamashta MA, Ordi-Ros J. et al. The 'primary' antiphospholipid syndrome: major clinical and serological features. Medicine (Baltimore)1989; 68: 366-74.
3.
Harris EN, Gharavi AE, Wasley GD, Hughes Grv.Use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and of inhibition studies to distinguish between antibodies to cardiolipin from patients with syphilis or autoimmune diseases. J Infect Dis1988; 157: 23-31.
4.
Gharavi AE, Harris EN, Asherson RA, Hughes Grv.Anticardiolipin antibodies: isotype distribution and phospholipid specificity . Ann Rheum Dis1987; 46: 1-6.
5.
Staub HL, Harris EN, Khamashta MA, Savidge G., Chahade WH, Hughes Grv.Antibody to phosphatidylethanolamine in a patient with lupus anticoagulant and thrombosis. Ann Rheum Dis1989; 48: 166-9.
Benveniste J. , Henson PM, Cochrane CGLeukocyte-dependent, histamine release from rabbit platelets: the role of IgE, basophils and a platelet-activating factor . J Exp Med1972 ; 136: 1356.
8.
Pinckard RN, Farr RS, Hanahan DJPhysicochemical and functional identity of rabbit platelet-activating factor (PAF) released in vivo during IgE anaphylaxis with PAF released in vitro from IgE sensitized basophils. J Immunol1979; 123: 1847.
9.
Camussi G., Tetta C., Coda R., Benveniste J.Release of platelet-activating factor in human pathology. I. Evidence for the occurrence of basophil degranulation and release of platelet-activating factor in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lab Invest1981; 44: 241-51.
10.
Benveniste J., Tence M., Bidault J., Boullet C., Polonsky J.Semisynthèse et structure proposée du facteur activant les plaquettes (PAF). C R Acad Sci (D) (Paris) 1979; 289: 1037.
11.
Demopoulos CA, Pinckard RN, Hanahan DJPlatelet-activating factor: evidence for 1-O-alkyl-2-sn-glyceril-3-phosphoryl-choline as the active component. (A new class of lipid chemical mediators.)J Biol Chem1979; 254: 9255.
12.
Camussi G., Mencia-Huerta JM, Benveniste J.Release of platelet-activating factor and histamine. I. Effect of immune complexes, complement and neutrophils on human and rabbit mastocytes and basophils. Immunology1977; 33: 523.
Nishihira J. , Ishibashi T., Imai Y.Production and characterization of specific antibodies against 1-0-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (a potent hypotensive and platelet-activating ether-linked phospholipid). J Biochem (Tokyo) 1984; 95: 1247-51.
15.
Karasawa K. , Fujita K., Satoh N. et al. Antibody to platelet activating factor (1-0-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; PAF). J Biochem (Tokyo) 1987; 102: 451-3.
16.
Small MA, Baldo BA, Redmond JWProduction of antibodies against platelet activating factor. Mol Immunol1989; 26: 711-19.
17.
Macpherson JL, Spur B., Pyne SG et al. Production and characterization of antibodies to platelet activating factor. J Lipid Mediat1992; 5: 49-59.
18.
Small MA, Baldo BA, McCaskill A.A specific, sensitive radioimmunoassay for platelet-activating factor (PAF) . J Immunol Methods1990; 128: 183-8.
19.
Cooney SJ, Small MA, Harle DG, Baldo BACombining site specificities of rabbit antibodies to platelet-activating factor (PAF). Mol Immunol1990; 27: 405-12.
20.
Tan EM, Cohen AS, Fries JF et al. The 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum1982: 25: 1271-7.
21.
Loizou S., McCrea JD, Rudge AC, Reynolds R., Boyle CC, Harris ENMeasurement of anticardiolipin antibodies by an enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA): standardization and quantitation of results. Clin Exp Immunol1985; 62: 738-45.
22.
Harris EN, Gharavi AE, Tincani A. et al. Affinity-purified anticardiolipin and anti-DNA antibodies. J Clin Lab Immunol1985; 17: 155-62.
McNeil HP, Krillis SA, Chesterman CNPurification of antiphospholipid antibodies using a new affinity method . Thromb Res1988; 52: 641-6.
25.
Loizou S., Mackworth-Young C., Cofiner C., Walport MJHeterogeneity of binding reactivity to different phospholipids of antibodies from patients with SLE and syphilis. Clin Exp Immunol1990; 7: 67-74.
26.
Barquinero J., Ordi J., Molins A., Tolosa C., Selva A., Vilardell M.Antibodies against platelet activating factor in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies. Seventh International Congress ofImmunology, Berlin, 1989.
27.
Barquinero J., Selva A., Ordi J., Molins A., Tolosa C., Vilardell M.Anti-PAF antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 'primary' antiphospholipid syndrome, progressive systemic sclerosis and syphilis and its correlation with other antiphospholipid antibodies . Br J Rheumatol1990; 24: 106 (abstract).
28.
Fernández-Gallardo S., Gijón MA, Cano E., Sánchez Crespo M.Platelet-activating factor mediates thrombolysis but no thrombocytopenia in response to soluble aggregates of immunoglobulin G. In: The Role of Platelet-Activating Factor in Immune Disorders. New Trends in Lipid Mediators Research. Braquet P (ed.). Basel, Karger, 1988; 2: 199-203.
29.
Braquet P., Bourgain R., Mencia-Huerta JMEffect of platelet-activating factor on platelets and vascular endothelium . Semin Thromb Haemost1989; 15: 184-92.
