Anti‐oxidized low‐density lipoprotein antibodies in myeloperoxidase–positive vasculitis patients preferentially recognize hypochlorite‐modified low density lipoproteins

Summary Many patients surviving vasculitis are prone to accelerated atherosclerosis and often have enhanced levels of antibodies to oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (oxLDL). To measure anti‐oxLDL antibodies, oxidation of LDL is achieved with copper (Cu) or malondialdehyde (MDA). Because, in vivo , LDL may be oxidized with myeloperoxidase (MPO) or its product hypochlorite, we measured anti‐hypochlorite LDL antibodies in patients with vasculitis, haemodialysis patients and healthy controls. A newly developed enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect antibodies to oxLDL as modified by hypochlorite. Results are compared with data obtained by standard LDL oxidation using MDA–LDL or Cu–LDL as substrate. Results were compared between anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)‐associated vasculitis (AAV) patients ( n  = 93), haemodialysis (HD) patients ( n  = 59) and healthy controls (HC; n  = 43). Furthermore, patients with MPO–ANCA‐associated vasculitis ( n  = 47) were compared with patients with proteinase 3 (PR3)–ANCA associated vasculitis ( n  = 46). Optimal cut‐off points were determined by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Anti‐oxLDL antibodies are enhanced in AAV patients (MDA–LDL and hypochlorite–LDL) and in HD patients (hypochlorite–LDL), when compared to HC. Furthermore, patients with MPO–ANCA‐associated vasculitis had higher levels of antibodies to hypochlorite–LDL than patients with PR3–ANCA‐associated vasculitis. Our newly developed assay, in which hypochlorite–LDL is used as substrate, seems a more sensitive assay than traditional assays to measure oxLDL antibodies. Furthermore, our results suggest that enhanced MPO‐mediated LDL oxidation occurs in patients with MPO–ANCA.