RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Activating anti-angiotensin type 1 receptor antibodies (AT1R-AA) have been described in patients with systemic scleroderma, an auto-immune disorder with clinical fibrotic features. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may have clinical fibrotic features, whose pathogenesis may be similar with systemic sclerosis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of AT1R-AA and their association with clinical and biological symptoms in cGvHD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sera from 87 patients including 45 extensive cGvHD and 42 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients without cGvHD were retrospectively analyzed for the presence of AT1R-AA using an enzymatic immunoassay. RESULTS: The frequency of AT1R-AA was significantly increased (odds ratio [OR]=3.4, P=0.04) in the cGvHD group (24.4%) compared with the non-cGvHD group (7.1%). In the cGvHD group the positivity of AT1R-AA was significantly associated with: i/ the presence of antinuclear antibodies (OR=5.9, P=0.04) ii/ a more severe global and organ-specific cGvHD scoring (P<0.05), iii/ the presence of active skin or mucosal erosions (OR=19.2, P<0.01). There was no difference between the number and the types of organs involved by the cGvHD between the AT1R-AA-positive versus AT1R-AA-negative subgroups. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests a potential role and prognostic value of AT1R-AA in cGvHD.