Features of vimentin autoantibodies formation in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis*

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is suggested to be a granulomatous disease with unknown etiology and highly variable clinical manifestation.In recent years, vimentin has been considered the most possible autoantigen in sarcoidosis, as well as in the number of various “classic” autoimmune connective tissue disorders. The aim of the study is to determine the severity of the immune response to various modifications of vimentin in patients with sarcoidosis. In a prospective comparative study was were included patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis stage II (n=93), with nonspecific lung diseases (n=55), in which were studied patinets with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n=25), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (n=15), alveolitis (n=15), and healthy individuals (n=40). Serum levels of antibodies to modified citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV) were determined in all participants included in the study, serum of patients with elevated levels of anti-MCV was tested for antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and to Sa-antigen (anti-Sa). Anti-MCV and anti-CCP were determined with ELISA. An increased level of anti-MCV was determined in 40.9% (38/93) cases of patients
with pulmonary sarcoidosis, which was significantly more frequent than in comparison and control groups. Antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide did not show their significance in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis and other studied lung diseases (COPD, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, alveolitis). The absence of anti-CCP and the positive correlation between antiMCV and anti-Sa suggest that citrullination and modification of vimentin is not a key factor in the formation of an autoimmune response to this peptide in sarcoidosis.