Potential for differential diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer using carbonic anhydrase II antibody.

Objectives: Pancreatic ductal epithelia contain an abundance of carbonic anhydrase (CA), and the presence of antibodies to this enzyme has been described in autoimmune disorders. We previously found a small amount of an immunoglobulin G-like material in purchased CAII reagents, which led to pseudopositive reactions.

Methods: We determined the optimum measurement conditions for detecting anti-CAII antibody using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and sera from 140 patients with pancreatic diseases.

Recruitment of immature neutrophils in peripheral blood following leukocytapheresis therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the cellular mechanism underlying filtration leukocytapheresis (LCAP) therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thirteen patients with refractory RA each underwent three sessions of LCAP. Before (pre-) and after (post-) the completion of the first LCAP session, peripheral blood was sampled and analyzed for neutrophil surface markers using flow cytometry.

Significant elevation of IgG anti-WRN (RecQ3 RNA/DNA helicase) antibody in systemic sclerosis.

Werner syndrome, caused by the homologous mutation of RecQ3 RNA/DNA helicase (WRN), is often misdiagnosed as systemic sclerosis (SSc) because of apparent similar skin changes and its relatively high frequency in Japan. The present study was undertaken to determine whether anti-WRN antibodies assayed by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay occur in 41 SSc patients (30 diffuse and 11 limited types) and, if so, to determine any clinical association, such as skin sclerosis. Serum level of IgG anti-WRN antibody in SSc was significantly higher than that from 30 age- and sex-matched normal volunteers (P < 0.

Detection of autoantibody against carbonic anhydrase II in various liver diseases by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using appropriate conditions.

Background: Immunoglobulin G autoantibody against carbonic anhydrase (CA) II has been detected in the sera of patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases. Antibody against CAII has also been described as a serological marker for distinguishing between cases of autoimmune cholangitis (AIC) and those of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). However, the optimal antibody measurement conditions (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: ELISA) have not yet been established.

Detection of anti-SS-A/Ro and anti-SS-B/La antibodies of IgA and IgG isotypes in saliva and sera of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

To assess the frequency and the possibility of local production of autoantibodies against SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), serum and saliva samples were obtained from 42 patients with SS, 10 with rheumatoid arthritis without sicca syndrome, and 12 healthy volunteers. Autoantibodies were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting. The frequencies of IgA anti-SS-A antibody, IgA anti-SS-B antibody, IgG anti-SS-A antibody and IgG anti-SS-B antibody in serum from SS patients were 45%, 50%, 43% and 21%, respectively.