Abstract
Mycobacterial heat shock protein 65 gene (Hsp65) has been widely used for classification of Mycobacterial species, and detection of Mycobacterial genes by molecular methods and has proven useful in identification of Mycobacterial infection in various clinical conditions. Circulating antibody against Mycobacterial hsp65 has been found in many clinical diseases including autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s disease, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, etc.), atherosclerosis and cancers. The prevalence of anti-Hsp65 antibody in the normal healthy population is unknown. We determined the blood levels of antibody against Mycobacterial hsp65 in the normal population represented by 288 blood donors of the American Red Cross and tested the blood of 109 patients with Crohn’s disease and 28 patients with Sjogren’s syndrome for comparison. The seroprevalence of anti-Hsp65 IgG in the normal population of Red Cross donors was 2.8% (8 of 288 positive). The Hsp65 antibody levels were significantly elevated in patients with Crohn’s disease and Sjogren’s syndrome. The prevalence of Hsp65 antibody in Crohn’s disease patients was 67.9% (74 of 109 patients), and 85.7% for Sjogren’s patients (24 of 28 patients). Our data indicate that anti-Hsp65 antibody is rare in the normal population, but frequent in chronic diseases. The presence of circulating Hsp65 antibody reflects an abnormal immune (adaptive) response to Mycobacterial exposure in patients with chronic diseases, thus differentiating the patients with chronic diseases from those clinical mimics.
Highlights
Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a family of chaperonins in all living organisms playing critical roles in protein folding [1,2]
heat shock protein 65 gene (Hsp65) of Mycobacterium is known to be present in all mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Mycobacterium avium ssp. hominissuis (MAH), and the presence of the Hsp65 gene has been used as a molecular marker for identification of mycobacterial infection [3,4]
The immune response to mycobacterial exposure is chronic and likely genetically determined, since mycobacteria are widely distributed in the environment such as water and soil
Summary
Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a family of chaperonins in all living organisms playing critical roles in protein folding [1,2]. The heat shock proteins are responsive to stress related conditions and constitute a stress-responsive molecular pathway in all living cells [1,2]. Hsp of Mycobacterium is known to be present in all mycobacterial species, including Mycobacterium avium ssp. Hominissuis (MAH), and the presence of the Hsp gene has been used as a molecular marker for identification of mycobacterial infection [3,4]. Sequencing of Hsp genes within a family of mycobacteria can be used for sub-classification of mycobacterial species [3,4,5]. Meta-analyses have concluded that the prevalence of MAP infection is significantly higher in patients with CD as compared to the normal healthy control population [12,13]
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