CARBONIC-ANHYDRASE ANTIBODY IN SERA FROM PATIENTS WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS

Sera from 16 of 23 (69.6%) patients with endometriosis, a potential au toimmune disease, and 2 of 17 (11.8%) control individuals had autoanti bodies against the bovine carbonic anhydrase (CA) molecular weight mar ker, as determined by the Western blot technique. The reactivity of th ese antibodies to purified human CA I, human CA II, and two preparatio ns of bovine CA II were investigated. Of the 16 endometriosis patients who were reactive to the bovine CA molecular weight marker, 14 were r eactive to at least one purified human CA isoenzyme tested, 8 were rea ctive to at least one purified bovine CA II, and 2 did not react with any of the CA isoenzymes tested. Variation in cross-reactivity between species and in the biochemical characteristics of various CA isoenzym e preparations may partially explain these findings. Autoantibodies to CA isoenzymes have recently been reported in other autoimmune disease s. Further investigation is required to determine the significance of CA autoantibody production in patients with endometriosis.