The anti-ApoA-I autoantibody response is strongly biased towards the C-terminal alpha-helical region.

<p>ELISA experiments were carried out using a set of ApoA-I-derived peptides (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0132780#pone.0132780.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>). a. Capture ELISA assay to determine the immunoreactivity of plasma pooled from patients known to be positive for anti-ApoA-I autoantibodies against the set of peptides. Specific ELISA signals were calculated as [signal in well]-[mean background signal (uncoated well)]. Results are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 3) b and c. Competition ELISA to determine the capacity of the set of peptides to block binding of anti-ApoA-I antibodies from either pooled patient plasma (b) or goat polyclonal IgG (c) to immobilized ApoA-I. Plasma or antibody was preincubated (2 h, room temperature) with peptides at the indicated concentrations prior to addition to assay wells. Percent maximal ELISA signals were calculated as 100 × ([signal in well]-[mean background signal (uncoated well)])/([mean maximal signal (no peptide)]-[mean background signal]). Results are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 3).