Prevalence of Autoantibodies in Healthy Adults in Pakistani Population

Afia Abbas,Faheem Shahzad,Muhammad Kashif,Nadeem Afzal,Sara Ashraf,Waqas Latif,Wasif Sajjad

doi:10.3329/bjms.v15i4.27834

Afia Abbas, Faheem Shahzad + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v15i4.27834

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Abstract

Introduction: Autoimmune phenomenon is attributed to a number of diseases which were once considered idiopathic. In humans, production of auto antibodies (a-Abs) against self-antigens is quite frequent but earlier their presence was associated with autoimmune diseases, however a-Abs have been documented in non-autoimmune disorders i.e. complicated pregnancy, cancer, stroke etc. In Pakistan, limited data is available on frequency of a-Abs, therefore this study was designed to determine serum level of antinuclear antibody (ANA), Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti dsDNA antibodies in apparently healthy population.Materials and methods: After written informed consent, blood sample of 256 subjects was obtained by random sampling. Participants of established autoimmune diseases were excluded. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine ANA, RF and anti-dsDNA antibody. Categorical variables were compared by using c2 test. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Rheumatoid factor was the most frequent a-Ab (18%), followed by anti dsDNA (7.4%), while ANA was the lowest (0.4%) antibody detected. Only RF had a statistically significant association with gender (p=0.047). No association of these antibodies with age was detected.Conclusion: Rheumatoid factor auto antibody was more prevalent as compared to ANA and dsDNA antibody in healthy adults.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.15(4) 2016 p.579-582

Highlights

Autoimmune phenomenon is attributed to a number of diseases which were once considered idiopathic
antinuclear antibody (ANA) has been Rheumatoid factor auto antibodies were more reported as 7.6% in Omani population 24 and 4.2% in prevalent as compared to dsDNA and ANA in healthy
Rheumatoid factor (RF) was associated with gender as it suggested ANA as four-fold more prevalent in females was prevalent more in males compared to females

Summary

Introduction

Autoimmune phenomenon is attributed to a number of diseases which were once considered idiopathic. 1. Sara Ashraf, Department of Immunology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan 2. Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Immunology University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan 5. Wasif Sajjad, Department of Immunology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan 6. Waqas Latif, Biostatician, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan 7. There are Materials and Methods abnormal changes in the rate of apoptotic or necrotic This cross sectional study was carried out in the events and abnormalities in expression/secretion of Department of Immunology, University of Health multiple autoantigens 1. It is found in different autoimmune written informed consent, serum from 256 subjects disorders and in healthy individuals[3,9] but it enables was obtained by random sampling. Rheumatoid factor (RF) is heterogeneous antibody by using χ2 test. p ≤0.05 was considered statistically of IgM class; directed against Fc fragment of IgG. significant

It is used as a disease marker of rheumatoid arthritis Results

RF Positive

Findings

Discussion