Pathogenetic and clinical aspects of antibody formation to glutathione peroxidase in systemic lupus erythematosus

This study aims to explore the clinical and pathogenetic role of antibodies (AT) to glutathione peroxidase (GP) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using antigen immobilization technology on polyacrylamide granules with magnetic properties.
The study involved 65 patients with diagnosed SLE, aged 18 to 67, years who were receiving inpatient treatment. The diagnosis was verified according to the EULAR/ACR 2019 criteria, and disease activity was assessed using the ECLAM scale. The control group consisted of 30 practically healthy individuals. The presence of antibodies to glutathione peroxidase was determined in the blood serum of patients by means of the indirect ELISA method, using polyacrylamide granules with magnetic properties synthesized by the original technology. The enzyme activity in blood plasma was measured by the Flohe–Günzler method. In the group of patients diagnosed with SLE, a decrease in enzyme activity was observed in comparison to the control group. The level of antibodies to glutathione peroxidase in patients with SLE was found to be statistically significantly higher than the level of the same indicator in donors. There was a tendency for the content of autoantibodies to increase with the activity of the pathological process. AT to GP were more frequently detected in patients with active SLE (ECLAM > 2). Among patients with SLE who demonstrated the presence of serum antibodies, enzyme activity was statistically significantly lower when compared to patients without antibodies. The highest initial antibody levels were also observed in cases involving of heart, nervous system, and joint damage, whereas the lowest levels were observed in cases of kidney damage. The dynamics of antibody concentrations were most pronounced in patients with heart damage, and statistically significant differences were also observed in cases of neurolupus, joint damage, and skin damage. In SLE, there is a clear tendency for plasma GP activity to decrease and the average concentration of circulating antibodies
to GP to increase with increasing disease activity. Treatment of SLE is accompanied by a tendency to normalize enzymatic activity and decrease the concentration of specific antibodies. Determination of plasma GP activity and serum antibodies to GP are promising biomarkers for assessing SLE activity

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