Cited by 27Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ResearchSystemic Sclerosis and Related DiseasesVasculitis and related conditions

The binding of SLE autoantibodies to mitochondria

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Pisetsky, David S., Spencer, Diane M., Mobarrez, Fariborz, Fuzzi, Enrico, Gunnarsson, Iva, Svenungsson, Elisabet·2020·Clinical Immunology

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease characterized by immune complexes. Because these complexes contain mitochondrial components, we assessed the presence of antibodies to whole mitochondria (wMITO) using an ELISA in which mitochondria from mouse liver are bound to microtiter plates pre-coated with poly-l-lysine. Studies with this ELISA demonstrated that SLE plasmas contain abundant anti-wMITO activity. While digestion with DNase 1 did not affect anti-wMITO activity, adsorption of plasma on DNA affinity columns could reduce binding activity. Assay for anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) by immunofluorescence and an ELISA with the M2 antigen (2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase protein complex) showed a low frequency of positivity, indicating that AMA and anti-wMITO are distinct specificities. In the study of 204 patients with SLE, the levels of anti-wMITO were higher in active SLE and correlated with levels of anti-DNA. These findings suggest that anti-wMITO can form immune complexes with mitochondria which may drive pathogenesis.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.clim.2020.108349

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  • Immunoreactivity to intact mitochondria is increased in SLE sera compared with healthy individuals and is associated with increased disease activity.

    “Immunoreactivity to intact mitochondria (owing to the presence of anti-whole mitochondria antibodies) is increased in the sera of patients with SLE compared with that of healthy individuals and is associated with increased disease activity230,261,262.”

    From The role of mitochondria in rheumatic diseases (2022) · cites this paper as [262]

    The Results (‘Relationship of anti-wMITO and disease activity’; page unavailable) report that antibodies to whole mitochondria are associated with higher SLE disease-activity scores. The Discussion says SLE sera bound well to intact mitochondria, and the Methods list healthy controls, but the retrieved passages do not establish that binding was higher in SLE sera than in healthy sera. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Antibodies to mitochondrial nucleic acids (mtDNA and mtRNA) are present in SLE or APS patients.

    “Antibodies to mitochondrial nucleic acids (mtDNA and mtRNA) are also present in patients with SLE or APS230,231,261,262.”

    From The role of mitochondria in rheumatic diseases (2022) · cites this paper as [262]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports anti-DNA and anti-whole-mitochondrion reactivity in SLE patients, but says the DNA target could be mitochondrial, nuclear, or a cross-reactive antigen. The paper does not establish antibodies specifically to mtDNA or mtRNA, and it does not report findings in APS patients. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Previous studies reported possible associations between increased AMA levels and SLE clinical manifestations such as AVE and nephritis.

    “Previous studies reported possible associations between increased AMA levels and SLE clinical manifestations [4,6 -9,12] such as AVE and nephritis.”

    From Antimitochondrial antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus are associated with and predict nephritis, arterial vascular events, and mortality (2026) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Results section, ‘Relationship of anti-wMITO and disease activity’ (page unavailable), associates anti-wMITO with urinary findings, and the Discussion describes an association with renal disease. But the paper distinguishes anti-wMITO from AMA and reports infrequent AMA positivity in SLE; it does not report an AMA association with nephritis or AVE. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Pisetsky, D. S., Spencer, D. M., Mobarrez, F., Fuzzi, E., Gunnarsson, I., & Svenungsson, E.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • Uppsala University (SE)
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
Corresponding author
Pisetsky, David S.
Venue
Clinical Immunology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-03
Volume
212
Pages
108349
ISSN
1521-6616 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3003059684
Cited by
27
References
61
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3
FWCI
3.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Clinical Immunology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Systemic Sclerosis and Related Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Vasculitis and related conditions
Keywords
systemic lupus erythematosus, autoantibodies, antimitochondrial antibodies, immune complexes, anti-DNA antibodies, disease activity, mouse liver mitochondria
MeSH terms
Animals, Antigen-Antibody Complex, Antibodies, Antinuclear, Autoantibodies, Autoantigens, Deoxyribonuclease I, DNA, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Humans, Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic, Mitochondria, Mitochondria, Liver, Polylysine, Mass Spectrometry, Case-Control Studies, Mitochondrial Proteins, Proteomics, Mice

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