Abstract
Asthma leads to chronic airway inflammation that shares pathological features of chronic rejection after lung transplantation. Due to significant role of autoimmunity in chronic rejection, we hypothesized that immunity to self-antigens may also be present in asthma. The goal was to define immune responses to self-antigens in patients with asthma. Blood and clinical data were collected from 99 asthmatics and 60 controls. Serum was analyzed for antibodies (Abs) to Collagen V (ColV) by ELISA and correlated with disease severity. Asthmatics' sera were tested in human protein array to determine immune responses to other self-antigens. Asthmatics had higher concentration of Abs to ColV (predominantly IgG isotype) compared to control (p < 0.01). These Abs correlated with severe asthma (p<0.01) and corticosteroid use (p=0.032). Additionally, Abs to novel self-antigens epidermal group factor receptor (EGFr), activin A type 1 receptor, and alpha-catenin (α-catenin) were detected in asthmatics. We conclude that Abs to self-antigens (ColV, EGFr, Activin A type 1 receptor, and α-catenin) are present in asthmatics sera correlating with clinical disease. Epithelial damage from airway inflammation during asthma may result in exposure of cryptic self-antigens or their determinants resulting in immune response to self-antigens and these may contribute to pathogenesis of asthma.