Autoantibody Against Erythrocyte Protein 4.1 in a Patient With Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

• Published in: Blood Vol. 72; no. 2; pp. 408 - 412
• Main Authors: Wakui, Hideki, Imai, Hirokazu, Kobayashi, Ryoji, Itoh, Hideaki, Notoya, Takeshi, Yoshida, Kosaku, Nakamoto, Yasushi, Miura, Akira B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Elsevier Inc 01.08.1988; The Americain Society of Hematology
• Subjects: Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune - immunology; Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies; Autoantibodies - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Cytoskeletal Proteins; Diseases of red blood cells; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Erythrocytes - immunology; Female; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; Medical sciences; Membrane Proteins - immunology; Middle Aged; Neuropeptides; Human; Hemolysis; Proteins; Immunopathology; Hemolytic anemia; Etiopathogenesis; Autoantibody; Red blood cell; Autoimmune disease; Hemopathy
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V72.2.408.408

We observed the presence of a new autoantibody, antierythrocyte protein 4.1, in a patient with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). Western blotting analysis revealed that IgG from the patient's plasma reacted with erythrocyte protein 4.1. However, among other patients with hemolytic diseases (six having AIHA and three each having either hereditary spherocytosis, elliptocytosis, or lead poisoning) as well as among control subjects, no antibody activity to protein 4.1 was observed. In addition to the anti-protein 4.1 antibody, two different kinds of antierythrocyte antibodies were detected by conventional serological studies in this patient. One of them was an anti-En*-like antibody in the eluate from the patient's erythrocytes, while another was the anti-S-specific antibody in the plasma. An elution study and an absorption study using S antigen-positive erythrocytes demonstrated that the anti-protein 4.1 antibody differed from both the anti-En'-like antibody and the anti-S antibody. Familial analysis of the patient revealed the same antibody in her brother, who did not have hemolytic anemia. These results demonstrate that anti-protein 4.1 antibody is considered to be included in the spectrum of anticytoskeleton autoantibodies, which have been observed in patients having increased cell lysis as well as in healthy subjects.