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Circulating anti-heat-shock-protein antibodies in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia

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Cell Stress and Chaperones Aims and scope

Abstract

It has been previously reported that circulating anti-heat-shock-protein (Hsp) antibody levels are elevated in cardiovascular disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine circulating antihuman Hsp60, antimycobacterial Hsp65, and antihuman Hsp70 antibody levels in healthy pregnant women and preeclamptic patients and to investigate their relationship to the clinical characteristics of the study subjects, as well as to the markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP)), endothelial activation (von Willebrand factor antigen), or endothelial injury (fibronectin), oxidative stress (malondialdehyde) and to serum Hsp70 levels. Ninety-three preeclamptic patients and 127 normotensive healthy pregnant women were involved in this case control study. Serum anti-Hsp60, anti-Hsp65, anti-Hsp70, and Hsp70 levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum CRP levels were determined by an autoanalyzer using the manufacturer’s kit. Plasma von Willebrand factor antigen levels were quantified by ELISA, while plasma fibronectin concentration by nephelometry. Plasma malondialdehyde levels were measured by the thiobarbituric-acid-based colorimetric assay. For statistical analyses, nonparametric methods were applied. Anti-Hsp60, anti-Hsp65, and anti-Hsp70 antibodies were detected in all of our serum samples. There were no significant differences in serum anti-Hsp60, anti-Hsp65, and anti-Hsp70 antibody levels between the control and preeclamptic groups. Serum levels of Hsp70 and CRP, as well as plasma levels of VWF antigen, fibronectin, and malondialdehyde, were significantly higher in preeclamptic patients than in normotensive healthy pregnant women. Serum anti-Hsp60 antibody levels showed significant correlations with serum anti-Hsp65 antibody levels both in the control and the preeclamptic groups (Spearman R = 0.55 and 0.59; p < 0.001, respectively). However, no other relationship was found between clinical features (maternal age, smoking status, parity, body mass index, gestational age at blood draw, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, gestational age at delivery, and fetal birth weight) and measured laboratory parameters of the study subjects and serum anti-Hsp antibody levels in either study group. In conclusion, anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 antibodies as naturally occurring autoantibodies are present in the peripheral circulation of healthy pregnant women. Nevertheless, humoral immunity against heat shock proteins was not associated with preeclampsia. Further studies are warranted to explore the role of heat shock proteins and immune reactivity to them in the immunobiology of normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.

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Abbreviations

ANCOVA:

analysis of covariance

AU:

arbitrary unit

BMI:

body mass index

CRP:

C-reactive protein

EDTA:

ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid

ELISA:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

HELLP:

hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count

HRP:

horseradish peroxidase

Hsp:

heat shock protein

Ig:

immunoglobulin

IL:

interleukin

OPD:

o-phenylene-diamine

PBS:

phosphate-buffered saline

Th :

T helper

VWF:Ag:

von Willebrand factor antigen

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Acknowledgements

The skillful technical assistance of Szigeti Antalné and the support of Szilvia Walentin, Éva Imreh, and Mónika Kleiber (Central Laboratory, Kútvölgyi Clinical Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary) are acknowledged with many thanks. This work was supported by research grants from the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (NF 72689) and the Faculty of Medicine of the Semmelweis University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Attila Molvarec, Zoltán Derzsy, Tamás Bőze, Bálint Nagy & János Rigó Jr

  2. 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Judit Kocsis, Veronika Makó, István Karádi & Zoltán Prohászka

  3. Research Group of Animal Breeding and Hygiene, Faculty of Animal Science, University of Kaposvár, Kaposvár, Hungary

    Krisztián Balogh

  4. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Szent István University, Gödöllő, Hungary

    Miklós Mézes

  5. Research Group of Inflammation Biology and Immunogenomics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    László Cervenak & Zoltán Prohászka

  6. Hangya lépcső 9, Budapest, 1121, Hungary

    Attila Molvarec

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  1. Attila Molvarec
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  2. Zoltán Derzsy
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Correspondence to Attila Molvarec.

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Molvarec, A., Derzsy, Z., Kocsis, J. et al. Circulating anti-heat-shock-protein antibodies in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. Cell Stress and Chaperones 14, 491–498 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-009-0102-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-009-0102-4

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