Antielastin autoimmunity in tobacco smoking-induced emphysema

• Published in: Nature medicine Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. 567 - 569
• Main Authors: Corry, David B, Kheradmand, Farrah, Lee, Seung-Hyo, Goswami, Sangeeta, Grudo, Ariel, Song, Li-zhen, Bandi, Venkata, Goodnight-White, Sheila, Green, Linda, Hacken-Bitar, Joan, Huh, Joseph, Bakaeen, Faisal, Coxson, Harvey O, Cogswell, Sebastian, Storness-Bliss, Claudine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01-05-2007
• Subjects: Autoimmune diseases; Autoimmunity; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Elastin - immunology; Emphysema; Emphysema - etiology; Emphysema - immunology; Humans; Inflammatory diseases; Lung; Pathology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - etiology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - immunology; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology
• ISSN: 1078-8956; 1546-170X
• DOI: 10.1038/nm1583

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema are common destructive inflammatory diseases that are leading causes of death worldwide. Here we show that emphysema is an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of antielastin antibody and T-helper type 1 (TH1) responses, which correlate with emphysema severity. These findings link emphysema to adaptive immunity against a specific lung antigen and suggest the potential for autoimmune pathology of other elastin-rich tissues such as the arteries and skin of smokers.