Autoantibody Biomarkers in Cardiovascular and Oncological Disorders

Autoantibody biomarkers are emerging as powerful tools in the early detection and risk stratification of both cardiovascular and malignant disorders. These diseases often share an underlying component of chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation, leading to the generation of autoantibodies against self-antigens. In cardiovascular medicine, autoantibodies targeting vascular and platelet-associated proteins have been shown to correlate with atherosclerotic plaque progression and predict acute events such as ischaemic stroke and myocardial infarction. In oncology, tumour-associated autoantibodies against aberrantly expressed or mutated proteins offer a minimally invasive approach to cancer screening and monitoring. Advances in high-throughput antigen discovery platforms have expanded the repertoire of candidate antibodies, enabling multiplexed assays that capture a broad spectrum of immune responses. The global significance of this work is underscored by its potential to improve patient stratification, guide therapeutic interventions and reduce the burden of late-stage diagnoses.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Investigations have identified an elevated serum autoantibody response to the adaptor protein complex subunit AP3D1 in patients with advanced atherosclerosis and acute ischaemic stroke. Quantitative assays revealed that anti-AP3D1 antibody levels correlate with carotid intima-media thickness, suggesting a direct link to vascular remodelling and plaque stability. Prospective cohort analyses further demonstrated that individuals with the highest quartile of anti-AP3D1 titres have an increased risk of future stroke. In parallel, studies of the serpin peptidase inhibitor SERPINE1 have shown significantly raised antibody levels in patients with acute cerebral infarction and transient ischaemic attacks. Anti-SERPINE1 titres were associated with traditional risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes, and remained an independent predictor of infarction in multivariate models. Together, these findings underscore the utility of autoantibodies to AP3D1 and SERPINE1 as biomarkers for vascular inflammation and thrombotic risk.

Autoantibody Biomarkers in Cardiovascular and Oncological Disorders publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in autoantibody biomarkers in cardiovascular and oncological disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Autoantibody: An antibody produced by the immune system that recognises and binds to an individual’s own proteins.

Biomarker: A measurable indicator of a biological process, disease state or response to therapy.

SEREX: Serological identification of antigens by recombinant cDNA expression cloning, a method to discover autoantigens recognised by patient sera.

AlphaLISA: Amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay, a bead-based technique for sensitive detection of antibodies.

Atherosclerosis: A chronic arterial disease characterised by lipid deposition and inflammation leading to plaque formation and vascular obstruction.

References

1. Serum anti-AP3D1 antibodies are risk factors for acute ischemic stroke related with atherosclerosis. Scientific Reports (2021).
2. Serum anti-SERPINE1 antibody as a potential biomarker of acute cerebral infarction. Scientific Reports (2021).
3. Serum anti-DIDO1, anti-CPSF2, and anti-FOXJ2 antibodies as predictive risk markers for acute ischemic stroke. BMC Medicine (2021).
4. Elevated levels of autoantibodies against DNAJC2 in sera of patients with atherosclerotic diseases. Heliyon (2020).
5. Identification of specific and common diagnostic antibody markers for gastrointestinal cancers by SEREX screening using testis cDNA phage library. Oncotarget (2018).