Environmental factors, especially mucosal microbiota and their toxins, have been linked to the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (1-7), inflammatory bowel diseases (8, 9), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (10), and other chronic disorders (11-13). Furthermore, increases in mucosal permeability, caused by stress, surgery, and minor gastrointestinal disorders, can lead to compositional changes in the mucosal microbiota (termed mucosal dysbiosis or microbial imbalance). These compositional changes at the mucosal surfaces can lead to excess translocation of bacteria into the body, where their presence is associated with inflammation (16-18). The importance of mucosal bacteria in the pathology of autoimmune diseases has begun to be elucidated through numerous animal studies, namely:
- In models of human ankylosing spondylitis, germ-free mice fail to develop spontaneous ankylosing enthesopathy (15).
- Oral administration of Escherichia coli-lipopolysaccharide (E. coli-LPS) induces mild arthritis in mice with chronically activated immune systems (3).
- In the mouse collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) model, administration of sub-arthritogenic levels of type II collagen auto-antibodies followed by E. coli-LPS administration triggers more severe arthritis than with administration of the collagen auto-antibodies alone (19).
Of particular interest are Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs), proteins produced by Staphylococcal bacterium such as Staphylococcal aureus (S. aureus). Through work with various animal models, SEs have been linked with the pathogenesis of a variety of autoimmune-related diseases (21) such as atopic dermatitis (20, 22), food allergies (23, 24), colitis (25, 26), arthritis (23, 27-29), and SLE (23, 30). SEs are potent immune stimulators, known as superantigens, for their ability to bind MHC II molecules on dendritic cells and stimulate polyclonal activation of T cells and other inflammatory cells. Additionally, SEs are incredibly stable meaning that they retain their pathological activity even after being submitted to sterilization techniques (i.e. cooking) and digestive proteases. Among the SEs, staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and B (SEB) are toxins which are confirmed to cause enteritis.
In order to elucidate the pathological roles of potential environmental pathogens in inflammatory diseases, Chondrex, Inc. provides the ELISA kits for determining the antibody titers in mice and humans against E. coli (O111:B4), E. coli-LPS (O111:B4), S. aureus, SEA, and SEB. Furthermore, Chondrex, Inc. also manufactures SEA and SEB Detection ELISA Kits for detecting protein levels in liquid samples. Please refer to the respective assay protocols for more detailed information. While these antibody ELISA kits against environmental factors are useful as immune function evaluation tools, several considerations must be addressed before establishing study protocols. Here we would like to share these considerations to help users better choose kits and interpret results.
Mouse - Anti-E. coli Antibody Assays (New and Improved!)
| Product | Catalog # | Price (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mouse Anti-E. Coli IgG Antibody Assay Kit | 6206 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli IgG1 Antibody Assay Kit | 6207 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli IgG2a Antibody Assay Kit | 6210 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli IgG2b Antibody Assay Kit | 6211 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli IgG3 Antibody Assay Kit | 6212 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli IgM Antibody Assay Kit | 6209 | 389.00 |
Mouse - Anti-LPS Antibody Assays (New and improved!)
| Product | Catalog # | Price (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mouse Anti-E. coli LPS IgG Antibody Assay Kit | 6106 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli LPS IgG1 Antibody Assay Kit | 6107 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli LPS IgG2a Antibody Assay Kit | 6110 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-E. coli LPS IgG2b Antibody Assay Kit | 6111 | 389.00 |
|
Mouse Anti-E. coli LPS IgG3 Antibody Assay Kit | 6112 | 389.00 |
Mouse - Anti-P. gingivalis Antibody Assays
| Product | Catalog # | Price (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mouse Anti-P. gingivalis IgG Antibody Assay Kit | 6225 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-P. gingivalis IgG3 Antibody Assay Kit | 6227 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-P. gingivalis IgM Antibody Assay Kit | 6226 | 389.00 |
Mouse - Anti-PG-LPS Antibody Assays
| Product | Catalog # | Price (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mouse Anti-PG-LPS IgG Antibody Assay Kit | 6222 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-PG-LPS IgG3 Antibody Assay Kit | 6224 | 389.00 |
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Mouse Anti-PG-LPS IgM Antibody Assay Kit | 6223 | 389.00 |
Mouse - Anti-Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) Antibody Assays
Mouse - Anti-Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) Antibody Assays
Pathogenic Environmental Factors and the Possible Contribution to Autoimmune Diseases
Various factors can disrupt the mucosal barrier function (a). As a result, pathogenic intestinal
bacterial components (mimic antigens) and their toxins can cross the mucosal barrier into
the surrounding tissues and circulation, thus disrupting the immune homeostasis (b).
References
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