The role of alpha-2-macroglobulin in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and system lupus erythematosus

Abstract

We investigated serum levels of alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2—MG) and some of its complexes, namely α2-MG-plasmin (α2-MG— Pl) and α2-MG—IgG at a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 2—3 degrees of activity (65 patients), a system lupus erythematosus (SLE) of 2-3 degrees of activity (30 patients) and 55 healthy donors as a control group. It is shown, that at SLE the total level of α2-MG is invariable, and at RA — decreases significantly in comparison with the healthy. The concentration of complexes was raised at pathology, but at RA this rising was expressed much more strongly, than at SLE. At studying of correlations of levels of α2-MG, α2-MG—Pl and α2-MG— IgG among themselves and with some several cytokines and acute phase proteins, it is shown, that there is some significant difference between normal and pathological correlative relations and allows us to suspect that at SLE, the α2-MG and its complexes participate in a pathogenesis, and at RA α2-MG becomes the major immunogenesis factor and the significant reason of disease progression.