Immunological Studies of Aortitis Syndrome

Abstract

Anti-aorta antibody was demonstrated in the sera obtained from patients with aortitis syndrome.(1) Anti-aorta antibody was detected by the complement fixation test from the sera in 17 (73.9) out of 23 cases of aortitis syndrome. It was also positive, though less frequently, in the sera of some other diseases, such as renovascular hypertension (66.7%), collagen disease (26.3%), renal disease (23.1%) and miscellaneous diseases (11.4%). An increased titer of antibodies exceeding 1:20 was found with a significantly higher frequency in cases of aortitis syndrome (12 of 23 patients, or 52.1 %) than in those of other diseases (only 8 of 140 patients, or 5.7%).From the data of the first examination for the antibody in 23 cases of aortitis syndrome, no significant relationship was elicited between the antibody titer and the several clinical features or laboratory data, except only signs and symptoms of occlusive vascular lesions. In cases in which serial examinations were carried out, however, the variations in titer in individual cases paralleled with the clinical course. Further examinations indicated anti-aorta antibody was certainly different from antibody against peripheral arteries and from antiheart and anti-kidney antibodies, and there was no apparent species difference between the human and the canine aorta in the property as an antigen in complement fixation test.(2) Anti-aorta precipitin was detected from none of 9 cases of aortitis syndrome and 10 of other diseases.(3) Antibodies against aorta was detected in the sera from the patients with aortitis syndrome by the direct fluorescent antibody technique. Aorta antigens were present in the media (especially adventitial side) and adventitia in a reticular or homogeneous form surrounded by the elastic fibers. The specific fluorescence in 2 cases of aortitis syndrome, in which complement fixation titer was 1:20, was completely blocked with inhibition test. No specific fluorescence was found in 3 cases of aortitis syndrome, in which complement fixation titer was 1:5 or lower, and in 3 cases with other diseases, in which complement fixation test was negative.