Antibodies to Elastin-Derived Peptides in Sera of Healthy Subjects and Atherosclerotic Patients

Healthy subjects of different ages and a group of atherosclerotic patients were tested for the presence of antielastin antibodies of different immunoglobulin classes (IgG, IgM, IgA and IgD) by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All tested sera showed detectable levels of antielastin antibodies of the four immunoglobulin classes. In healthy subjects, antielastin IgG and IgM showed a relatively high level in the sera of children, growing even higher in the sera of 18-20 year old subjects. Then their levels were stabilized in the 30-60 year old for IgG and the 30-50 year old for IgM and gradually decreased thereafter. The antielastin IgA showed insignificant changes up to the age of 40 and then their level gradually increased. The antielastin IgD showed statistically insignificant changes with age and only a tendency to decreaseer the age of 60. The atherosclerotic patients showed statistically significant decrease in antielastin IgG, IgM and IgD and significant increase in the antielastin IgA in comparison with controls of the same age.