Background
Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis is a pauci-immune disease with the inflammation of the small blood vessels. The efficacies of antibody drugs for induction therapies of vasculitis vary among cases. Here, we developed a novel clone of a single chain Fv region (ScFv) with vasculitis-specific therapeutic potential. Materials and
Conclusion
VasSF would constitute a novel antibody drug for vasculitis by suppressing the heterodimer formation of the apolipoproteins.
Methods
The clone, termed VasSF, was selected from our Escherichia coli expression library of recombinant human ScFv based on the therapeutic efficacy in an SCG/Kj mouse model of MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis (MAAV), such as improvement of the urinary score and decreased crescent formation in glomeruli, granulomatous in lung, MPO-ANCA biomarkers, the anti-moesin antibody, and some cytokine levels.
Results
We identified vasculitis-associated apolipoprotein A-II (VAP2) as a target molecule of the clone and confirmed the independently-established VAP2 antibodies were also therapeutic in SCG/Kj mice. In MAAV, MPO-ANCA and cytokines stimulate neutrophils by facilitating heterodimer formation of VAP2 with apolipoprotein A-I in HDL.