Molecular mimicry and ankylosing spondylitis: possible role of a novel sequence in pullulanase of Klebsiella pneumoniae

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 369; no. 2; pp. 243 - 248
• Main Authors: Fielder, M., Pirt, S.J., Tarpey, I., Wilson, C., Cunningham, P., Ettelaie, C., Binder, A., Bansal, S., Ebringer, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 07-08-1995
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Ankylosing spondylitis; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - immunology; Collagen - genetics; Cross Reactions; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Glucans; Glycoside Hydrolases - genetics; HLA-B27 Antigen - genetics; HLA-B27 Antigen - immunology; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Klebsiella pneumoniae - enzymology; Klebsiella pneumoniae - genetics; Klebsiella pneumoniae - immunology; Molecular Mimicry; Molecular Sequence Data; Novel sequence in pullulanase; Peptides - chemical synthesis; Peptides - immunology; Pullulanase; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - genetics; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - immunology; Spondylitis, Ankylosing - microbiology; Molecular mimicry; Ankylosing spondylitis; Novel sequence in pullulanase; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Pullulanase
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(95)00760-7

Molecular mimicry has been shown between two sequences of
Klebsiella pneumoniae pulD secretion protein (DRDE) with HLA-B27 (DRED) and pulA (pullulanase) enzyme (Gly-X-Pro) with types I, III and IV collagen respectively. IgG antibody levels in AS patients were elevated against 16mer synthetic peptides of HLA-B27 and pulD by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) compared to controls (
P < 0.001). ELISA assays against
K. pneumoniae grown in the absence and presence of pullulan demonstrated significant levels of IgA antibody in AS patients compared to controls (
P < 0.001). Increased IgA and IgG antibody levels to pulA and types I and IV collagen were observed in AS patients compared to controls (
P < 0.001). These observations could be relevant in the sequence of molecular events in AS.