Association of plasma antibodies against the inducible Hsp70 with hypertension and harsh working conditions

Autoantibodies against certain stress or heat shock proteins (Hsps) may pla y a role in the pathogenesis and/ or prognosis of some diseases. Using immu noblotting with human recombinant Hsps and univariate and multivariate logi stic regression models, we have investigated the presence of antibodies aga inst Hsp70, the inducible member of the 70-kDa family of heat shock protein s, and analyzed its possible association with hypertension and working cond itions. Plasma and serum were collected from 764 steel mill workers from 6 work sites exposed to (1) severe noise; (2) severe noise and dust; (3) nois e, dust, and heat; (4) noise and heat; (5) severe noise and heat; and (6) o ffice conditions (control). Workers with prolonged exposure to stresses suc h as noise, dust, and high temperature and a combination of these in the wo rkplace had a high incidence (26.6% to 40.2%) of antibodies to Hsp70 compar ed to the lowest incidence (18.6%) of antibodies to Hsp70 in the control gr oup of office workers. Moreover, there was a statistical association of ant ibodies against Hsp70 with hypertension. The statistical correlation betwee n the presence of antibodies to Hsp70 and hypertension is higher in the gro up of workers with blood pressure of 160/95 mmHg than in the 140/90-mmHg gr oup after excluding possible effects of the workplace stresses. These resul ts suggest that harsh workplace conditions can increase the production of a ntibodies against Hsp70 and that the presence of antibodies to this stress protein may be associated with hypertension. The precise mechanism for the elevation of antibodies against Hsps by environmental and workplace stresse s and their relation to hypertension remains to be established.