Unique Protein Signature of Circulating Microparticles in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Ole Østergaard, Christoffer Nielsen, Line V Iversen, Julia T Tanassi, Steen Knudsen, Søren Jacobsen, Niels Henrik Helweg Heegaard

    73 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Objective To characterize the unique qualities of proteins associated with circulating subcellular material in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients compared with healthy controls and patients with other chronic autoimmune diseases. Methods Using differential centrifugation and high-sensitivity nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, we systematically profiled proteins of microparticles (MPs) from SLE patients (n = 12), systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients (n = 6), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (n = 6), as well as healthy controls (n = 12). Results We identified 531 unique proteins and showed that the differences between healthy controls and patients with SLE with regard to the abundance of 248 proteins were highly statistically significant. Almost half of the proteins that were increased by >2-fold were complement proteins and Ig (increased by 100-4,000 times). MP Ig and complement loads also distinguished SLE from RA and SSc and correlated strongly with clinical SLE severity. Subsets of microtubule proteins, fibronectin, 14-3-3η, and desmosomal proteins as well as ficolin 2 and galectin 3 binding protein were also highly increased. In SLE MPs, levels of cytoskeletal, mitochondrial, and organelle proteins, including lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 and transforming growth factor β1, were decreased. Conclusion The data show that SLE patients have increased numbers of MPs that are heavily tagged for removal and fewer MPs with normal protein composition. SLE MPs are unique and specific proteins that represent novel leads for our understanding of SLE and for the development of new treatments of the disease.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalArthritis & Rheumatism
    Volume65
    Issue number10
    Pages (from-to)2680-2690
    Number of pages11
    ISSN0004-3591
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Oct 2013

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