Original Articles
Vol. 67 No. 3 (2015)
https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2015.839

Interferon gamma-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and anti-IFI16 antibodies in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: findings in serum and minor salivary glands

Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: 20 July 2015
Published: 9 February 2016
2925
Views
1358
Downloads
Sjögren’s syndrome, interferons, IFI16.
Rheumatology

Authors

A. Alunno
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
V. Caneparo
Virology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, Novara Medical School, Novara, Italy.
F. Carubbi
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy.
O. Bistoni
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
S. Caterbi
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
M. Gariglio
Virology Unit, Department of Translational Medicine, Novara Medical School, Novara, Italy.
E. Bartoloni
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
S. Landolfo
Viral Pathogenesis Unit, Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, Turin Medical School, Turin, Italy.
R. Gerli
roberto.gerli@unipg.it
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
The interferon (IFN) signature, namely the overexpression of IFN-inducible genes is a crucial aspect in the pathogenesis of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). The IFN-inducible IFI16 protein, normally expressed in cell nuclei, may be overexpressed, mislocalized in the cytoplasm and secreted in the extracellular milieu in several autoimmune disorders including pSS. This leads to tolerance breaking to this self-protein and development of anti-IFI16 antibodies. The aim of this study was to identify pathogenic and clinical significance of IFI16 and anti-IFI16 autoantibodies in pSS. IFI16 and anti-IFI16 were assessed in the serum of 30 pSS patients and one-hundred healthy donors (HD) by ELISA. IFI16 was also evaluated in 5 minor salivary glands (MSGs) of pSS patients and 5 MSGs of non-pSS patients with sicca symptoms by immunohistochemistry. Normal MSGs do not constitutively express IFI16. Conversely, in pSS-MSGs a marked expression and cytoplasmic mislocalization of IFI16 by epithelial cells was observed with infiltrations in lymphocytes and peri/ intra-lesional endothelium. pSS patients display higher serum levels of both IFI16 and anti-IFI16 autoantibodies compared to HD. Our data suggest that IFI16 protein may be involved in the initiation and perpetuation of glandular inflammation occurring in pSS.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

How to Cite



1.
Interferon gamma-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and anti-IFI16 antibodies in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: findings in serum and minor salivary glands. Reumatismo [Internet]. 2016 Feb. 9 [cited 2026 Sep. 5];67(3):85-90. Available from: https://www.reumatismo.org/reuma/article/view/839

PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.