A novel cell-based assay for measuring neutralizing autoantibodies against type I interferons in patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1

Clin Immunol. 2014 Jul;153(1):220-7. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2014.04.013. Epub 2014 May 2.

Abstract

An important characteristic of autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS 1) is the existence of neutralizing autoantibodies (nAbs) against the type I interferons (IFN) -α2 and -ω at frequencies close to 100%. Type 1 IFN autoantibodies are detected by antiviral neutralizing assays (AVA), binding assays with radiolabelled antigens (RLBA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or by reporter-based cell assays. We here present a simple and reliable version of the latter utilizing a commercially available cell line (HEK-Blue IFN-α/β). All 67 APS 1 patients were positive for IFN-ω nAbs, while 90% were positive for IFN-α2 nAbs, a 100% and 96% correlation with RLBA, respectively. All blood donors and non-APS 1 patients were negative. The dilution titer required to reduce the effect of IFN-ω nAbs correlated with the RLBA index. This cell-based autoantibody assay (CBAA) is easy to perform, suitable for high throughput, while providing high specificity and sensitivity.

Keywords: Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome I; Interferon alpha; Interferon omega; Neutralizing autoantibodies; Radioimmunoassay.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Cell Line
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods*
  • Interferon Type I / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Interferon Type I / immunology*
  • Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / blood*
  • Polyendocrinopathies, Autoimmune / immunology*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Autoantibodies
  • Interferon Type I

Supplementary concepts

  • Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome, type 1