AUTOANTIBODIES AGAINST 70-KDA HEAT-SHOCK PROTEINS (HSP70) IN ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

We report that autoantibodies against the 70-kDa heat shock protein fa mily (HSP70) were detected in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipi ents. Antibodies to HSP70 family proteins were detected in three out o f 14 recipients of an allogeneic marrow graft but in none of the seven patients receiving autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant ( PBSCT). Immunoblotting analysis combined with two-dimensional SDS-PAGE revealed that these patients had antibodies to a constitutive 73-kDa/ pI 5.5 heat shock protein (HSP73) and to a stress-inducible 72-kDa/pI 5.6 protein (HSP72). This is the first report, to our knowledge, descr ibing the presence of autoantibody against HSP73 in allogeneic marrow transplant recipients. Our results may provide additional insight into the etiology and the pathophysiology of allogeneic transplant-related disorders.