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Circulation. 2001;103:1599-1604

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(Circulation. 2001;103:1599.)
© 2001 American Heart Association, Inc.


Basic Science Reports

Direct Inhibition of Expressed Cardiac L- and T-Type Calcium Channels by IgG From Mothers Whose Children Have Congenital Heart Block

Guang-Qian Xiao, MD; Keli Hu, MD, PhD; Mohamed Boutjdir, PhD

From the Molecular and Cellular Cardiology Program, New York Harbor Healthcare System and SUNY Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY.

Correspondence to Dr Mohamed Boutjdir, R&D Office (151), Molecular and Cellular Cardiology Program, New York Harbor Healthcare System, 800 Poly Place, Brooklyn, NY 11209. E-mail mohamed.boutjdir{at}med.va.gov


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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Background—Congenital heart block (CHB) is a disease that affects the offspring of mothers with autoimmune diseases. We recently reported that maternal sera containing antibodies against SSA/Ro and SSB/La ribonucleoproteins (positive IgG) inhibited L-type Ca current in isolated cardiac myocytes and induced sinus bradycardia in a murine model of CHB. The direct interaction of positive IgG with L-type Ca channel proteins and the possible inhibition of T-type Ca current that could account for the sinus bradycardia remain unknown.

Methods and Results—The 2-electrode voltage-clamp technique was used to record currents via L-type (IBa-{alpha}1C or IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta}) and T-type (IBa-{alpha}1H) Ca channels, Na channels (INa-hH1), and K channels (IKs-minK+KvLQT1) expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Positive IgG (350 µg/mL) inhibited IBa-{alpha}1C by 50.6±4.7% (P<0.01) and IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} by 50.9±4.2% (P<0.01); IBa-{alpha}1H was reduced by 18.9±1.0% (P<0.01). Immunoblot data show cross-reactivity of positive IgG with {alpha}1C subunit. Pretreatment of oocytes with atropine (1 µmol/L) or acetylcholine (10 µmol/L) did not affect the inhibitory effect of IgG on IBa-{alpha}1C and IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} (P<0.05). Positive IgG had no effect, however, on either INa-hH1 or IKs-minK+KvLQT1.

Conclusions—Positive IgG inhibited expressed L-type IBa and cross-reacted with the {alpha}1C subunit in Xenopus oocytes, providing strong evidence that maternal antibodies interact directly with the pore-forming {alpha}1-subunit of Ca channels. In addition, we show for the first time that positive IgG also inhibited T-type IBa but not INa-hH1 or IKs-minK+KvLQT1. This could provide, in part, the ionic basis of sinus bradycardia reported in animal models of CHB and clinically in humans.


Key Words: antibodies • ion channels • electrophysiology


*    Introduction
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up arrowAbstract
*Introduction
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down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
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Congenital heart block (CHB) is a disease that affects children of mothers who may have autoimmune disease or may be entirely asymptomatic.1 CHB is usually detected between 16 and 24 weeks of gestation in fetuses with otherwise normally developing hearts.1 CHB carries high mortality ({approx}30%), and >60% of affected children require pacemakers.2 Although varying degrees of block have been noted and second-degree block has on rare occasions reverted to normal sinus rhythm,3 CHB is irreversible. CHB detected in utero is strongly associated with autoantibodies reactive to the intracellular ribonucleoproteins SSA/Ro and SSB/La.4 Anti-SSA/Ro antibodies recognize 2 proteins: a 60-kDa protein and a 52-kDa protein. An additional 75-kDa phosphoprotein was recently reported to be associated with 60-kDa SSA/Ro.5 The 60-kDa SSA/Ro protein contains an RNA-binding protein consensus motif.6 The 52-kDa SSA/Ro protein has 3 distinct domains: 2 zinc fingers in the N-terminal, a central leucine zipper, and a C-terminal rfp-like domain.7 SSB/La is a 48-kDa protein, which is thought to have the function of facilitating the maturation of RNA polymerase III transcripts.8 The exact function of these autoantigens is yet to be defined.

The association between CHB and autoantibodies against SSA/Ro and SSB/La proteins has been known for >3 decades. The mechanisms underlying this disease, however, are just emerging. Several cellular and immunological mechanisms have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of this disease.9 Recently, the development of animal models of CHB10 11 and the use of electrophysiological techniques10 12 13 to study the cellular and ionic mechanisms of maternal antibodies in heart cells provided new directions and alternative approaches for the pathogenesis of CHB. Garcia et al12 demonstrated that the IgG fraction of SSA/Ro and SSB/La antibodies induced abnormal conduction and reduction of Ca currents in rabbit heart. Subsequently, our laboratory demonstrated the arrhythmogenic effect of maternal autoantibodies in Langendorff-perfused hearts10 13 and further correlated these effects with the inhibition of the L-type Ca channel in isolated cardiac myocytes.10 13 In addition and unexpectedly, we reported significant sinus bradycardia in mouse pups born to mothers injected with human maternal antibodies.11 These same maternal antibodies, however, did not affect the Na current (INa), the transient outward current (Ito), and the inward rectifier K current (IK1) in rat ventricular myocytes.13

The present study was designed to address the following 3 questions: (1) Does inhibition of L-type Ca channels by maternal antibodies occur by direct interaction of the antibody with the channel pore-forming subunit? (2) Does maternal antibody affect T-type Ca channels (because this channel could be involved in the pacemaker activity of the heart)? (3) Does maternal antibody affect other channels, such as INa and delayed rectifier IK channels. Xenopus oocytes were used to individually express these currents. This is most relevant for L-type and T-type Ca channels because of the unique advantage of separating T-type from L-type current, which is usually difficult to achieve in native cardiocytes.


*    Methods
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*Methods
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IgG Purification
Purification of IgG has been performed as previously described.13 Briefly, immunoglobulin fractions containing IgG were purified from serum by protein A–Sepharose columns and confirmed to be pure by electrophoresis. IgGs were obtained from 3 mothers whose children have CHB. These IgGs were referred to as positive IgG and contain IgG against 48-kDa SSB/La, 52-kDa SSA/Ro, and 60-kDa SSA/Ro, as tested by ELISA and immunoblot.13 Negative IgG (control IgG) was purified from sera of 3 healthy mothers with healthy children and tested negative for anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies by ELISA and immunoblot.13 The dose-response relationship for the inhibition of IBa-{alpha}1C by positive IgG showed that the concentration of positive IgG that produced a half-maximal response (EC50) was 173.5 µg/mL and that maximal inhibition was 350 µg/mL. Thus, an IgG concentration of 350 µg/mL was used throughout.

Preparation of Xenopus Oocyte and cRNA Injection
Mature female Xenopus frogs, purchased from Xenopus I (Ann Arbor, Mich), were anesthetized with 1.5 mg/mL tricaine. Surgically removed ovarian lobes were dissected and treated for 1.5 hours with 1.5 mg/mL collagenase type IA dissolved in Ca-free ND96 medium (mmol/L: NaCl 96, KCl 2, MgCl2 2, HEPES 5, pH 7.4). Stage IV and V oocytes were selected. cRNAs encoding the full length of the {alpha}1C subunit of rabbit cardiac Ca channel, the ß subunit, and the {alpha}2/{delta} subunit (both from rabbit skeletal muscle) were kindly provided by Dr Mohamed Chahine from Laval Hospital Research Center, Quebec, Canada.14 Plasmid pCDNA3.1(+)-minK, pCDNA3.1(+)-SCN5A, and pCDNA3.1(+)-KvLQT1 were generously given by Dr Robert S. Kass from Columbia University. Plasmid pGEM-HEA containing cDNA encoding the T-type {alpha}1H Ca channel of human heart was generously provided by Dr Edward Perez-Reyes15 from the University of Virginia Medical Center. Plasmids were first linearized with restriction enzymes, and in vitro transcription was carried out with the mMSSAGE mMACHINE (Ambion Inc). Each oocyte was injected with a 55-nL volume containing 20 ng {alpha}1C cRNA (alone or with ß2a and {alpha}2/{delta} subunit cRNAs) or 5 to 10 ng {alpha}1H cRNA or 0.5 to 1 ng minK cRNA+1 to 2 ng KvLQT1 or 1 to 2 ng hH1 cRNA. The injected oocytes were stored at 18°C in Leibovitz’s L-15 medium (GIBCO BRL) supplemented with 50 U/mL penicillin/streptomycin. Currents were recorded from days 4 to 7.

Solutions and Drugs
The composition of the external recording solution for L-type and T-type currents is (mmol/L) Ba(OH)2 40, NaOH 50, KOH 2, HEPES 5, 4-aminopyridine 5, and tetraethylammonium chloride 10, adjusted to pH 7.4 with methanesulfonic acid. ND96 bath solution was used for INa-hH1 and IKs-minK+KvLQT1 recordings.16 17 All chemicals were purchased from Sigma except where indicated.

Oocyte Ca Current Recordings
The expressed currents were recorded with the 2-electrode voltage-clamp technique with a GeneCLAMP 500 amplifier (Axon Instrument Inc). The volume of the recording chamber was 0.5 mL, and the rate of perfusion was 0.3 mL/min. Oocytes were impaled with electrodes filled with 3 mol/L KCl in ND96 external solution. For L- and T-type Ba current-voltage (I-V) relations, oocytes were depolarized from a holding potential of -80 mV to test potentials ranging from -50 to 60 mV for L-type IBa and -70 to 60 mV for T-type IBa, with increments of 10 mV. The time course of L-type and T-type IBa was recorded by a depolarization pulse to 20 mV and -30 mV from a holding potential of -80 mV, respectively. For IKs-minK+KvLQT1,16 pulses were applied in 10-mV increments from -60 mV holding potential to 60 mV and for INa-hH117 from a holding potential of -130 mV to test potentials ranging from -100 to 30 mV with increments of 5 mV.

Immunoprecipitation and Western Blot
L-type Ca channel proteins were obtained from membranes of oocytes injected with {alpha}1C cRNA and purified as previously described.18 Briefly, membranes were homogenized in 10% sucrose, 15 mmol/L NaCl, 5 mmol/L KCl, and 20 mmol/L HEPES, pH 7.5, supplemented with proteinase inhibitor cocktail.18 After centrifugation, membrane fractions from 20% to 50% sucrose gradient interface were collected and solubilized in 2.5 mL buffer (75 mmol/L KCl, 75 mmol/L NaCl, 50 mmol/L Na phosphate [pH 7.2], 2 mg/mL soybean lipids, and 1% Triton X-100) and centrifuged for supernatant collection.

Antibodies (Card I) against the L-type {alpha}1C subunit19 were generously given by Dr Marlene Hosey from Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill, and were used to immunoprecipitate L-type Ca channel proteins as described.19 Briefly, Card I was added to the supernatant, which was precleared with protein A–sepharose and shaken at 4°C overnight. Twenty-five microliters of 50% protein A–Sepharose beads was added for every 1 mL of sample and incubated for 4 hours. Protein A–Sepharose antibody/antigen complex was collected by centrifugation, washed, and eluted in reducing SDS sample buffer by boiling for 5 minutes. For Western blot analysis, 35 µL/lane of the above immunoprecipitated proteins was subjected to SDS-PAGE on 8% to 16% gradient gel. Proteins were transferred to a PVDF membrane by electrophoresis. The blot was blocked for 2 hours in 5% donkey serum and washed twice in 1xPBS-Tween. For immunoreaction, the blot was incubated with positive IgG, negative IgG, and Card I overnight at 4°C. Blots were completely washed with PBS-Tween. Immunodetection was carried out with a 1:5000 diluted peroxidase-conjugated rabbit anti-goat IgG (for Card I) or sheep anti-human IgG (for positive and negative IgG) for 1 hour. Blots were washed again, then incubated with enhanced chemiluminescence detection reagent (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech) for 1 minute and exposed to x-ray film. To ensure that {alpha}1C protein was present in the negative IgG lane, blots were stripped by shaking in strip solution (100 mmol/L 2-mercaptoethanol, 2% SDS, 62.5 mmol/L Tris-HCl) at 50°C for 30 minutes. The stripped blot was then washed with PBS-Tween, blocked with donkey serum, and immunoblotted with Card I as described above.

Data Analysis
Data acquired were stored, then analyzed offline with Pclamp 6 software (Axon Instrument Inc). All values are measured as the difference between zero and the peak current. The Microcal Origin v5.0 (Microcal Software Inc) program was used to generate figures and perform statistical analysis. Data are presented as mean±SEM. Student’s t test for paired data and independent t test or ANOVA was used when appropriate. A value of P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.


*    Results
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*Results
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L-Type IBa Was Inhibited by Positive IgG
Figure 1Down shows the inhibitory effect of positive IgG on expressed L-type IBa in Xenopus oocytes. Figure 1ADown and 1BDown illustrates the I-V relations for IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} and IBa-{alpha}1C before and after the addition of positive IgG. Positive IgG (350 µg/mL) inhibited IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} and IBa-{alpha}1C by 50.9±4.2% (P<0.01, n=18) and 50.6±4.7% (P<0.01, n=12), respectively. Figure 1CDown shows the time course inhibition of IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} by positive IgG in 1 typical oocyte. Application of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) resulted in 51% inhibition of IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta}. The effects of positive IgG were only partially reversible (86% recovery). Negative IgG, however, had no significant effect on IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} (Figure 1DDown, P=0.37, n=6). Because it has been suggested that maternal IgG can act as a muscarinic receptor agonist,20 which in turn can regulate L-type Ca channels, we tested whether blockade (negative control) or stimulation (positive control) of muscarinic receptor with atropine or acetylcholine, respectively, will affect IgG inhibition of L-type IBa. Figure 2Down shows that application of atropine (1 µmol/L, A and B) or acetylcholine (10 µmol/L, C) per se had no effect on IBa. Addition of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) in the presence of atropine resulted in the usual inhibition of IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} by 47.5±4.6% (P<0.05, n=7) and IBa-{alpha}1C by 47.4±3.5% (P<0.05, n=5). Similarly, the effects of positive IgG on IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} were not affected by the presence of acetylcholine (48.2±3.0% inhibition, P<0.05, n=5). In summary, positive IgG but not negative IgG inhibited both IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} and IBa-{alpha}1C. No significant difference in the percent decrease of L-type IBa by positive IgG was found between IBa-{alpha}1C and IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} and between the groups in the absence or presence of atropine or acetylcholine. The average statistical data are summarized in the TableDown.



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Figure 1. Effects of positive and negative IgG on expressed L-type IBa recorded from Xenopus oocytes. A and B, Steady-state effect of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) on I-V relations of IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} (n=12) and IBa-{alpha}1C (n=12), respectively. C, Time course of inhibitory effect of positive IgG on L-type IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta}; D, effect of negative IgG on IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} (n=5). Selected current tracings at a test pulse of 20 mV from a single oocyte are shown in inset in C.



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Figure 2. Effects of positive IgG on IBa in presence of atropine and acetylcholine. A and B, Steady-state effect of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) on I-V relations of IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} (n=5) and IBa-{alpha}1C (n=5) recorded in oocytes pretreated with atropine (1 µmol/L), respectively. C, Steady-state effect of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) on I-V relations of IBa-{alpha}1C2a+{alpha}2/{delta} (n=5) recorded in oocyte pretreated with acetylcholine (10 µmol/L). Atropine (A and B) and acetylcholine per se did not significantly change I-V relations. Addition of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) in presence of atropine (A and B) or acetylcholine (C) still inhibited IBa.


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Table 1. Summary of the Effects of Positive IgG and Negative IgG on Expressed Currents

T-Type IBa Was Inhibited by Positive IgG
Figure 3Down shows IBa-{alpha}1H in the absence and presence of IgG. Panel A illustrates the inhibitory effects of positive IgG on the I-V relations of IBa-{alpha}1H. Panel B shows the time course inhibition of IBa-{alpha}1H by positive IgG. Application of 350 µg/mL positive IgG resulted in 18.9±1.0% inhibition of IBa-{alpha}1H at -30 mV (P<0.01, n=10). The effects of positive IgG were not completely reversible (88% recovery after washing). Negative IgG did not significantly affect IBa-{alpha}1H (Figure 3CDown). The average statistical data are summarized in the TableUp.



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Figure 3. Effects of positive and negative IgG on expressed IBa-{alpha}1H recorded from Xenopus oocytes. A, Steady-state effects of positive IgG (350 µg/mL) on I-V relations of IBa-{alpha}1H (n=6). B, Time course of inhibitory effects of positive IgG on IBa-{alpha}1H in a different oocyte. C, Effects of negative IgG (350 µg/mL) on IBa-{alpha}1H (n=6). Insets, Selected current tracings at a test pulse of -30 mV from a single oocyte each, during control conditions and after application of IgG.

Positive IgG Did Not Affect Na (INa-hH1) and K (IKs-minK+KvLQT1) Channels
To check whether positive IgG affected other currents, we expressed Na current, INa-hH1, and K current, IKs-minK+KvLQT1, in oocytes. Figure 4Down shows the effect of positive IgG on INa-hH1 (A) and IKs-minK+KvLQT1 (B). Positive IgG failed to significantly alter INa-hH1 (P=0.07, n=8) and IKs-minK+KvLQT1 (P=0.06, n=7).



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Figure 4. Effect of positive IgG on expressed INa-hH1 and IKs-minK+KvLQT1. A and B, Effect of positive IgG on INa-hH1 and IKs-minK+KvLQT1, respectively. Current tracings were obtained from a single oocyte each at a test pulse of -30 mV (holding potential -130 mV) for INa-hH1 and 0 mV and 40 mV (holding potential -60 mV) for IKs-minK+KvLQT1 during control conditions and after application of positive IgG. Similar results were found in 7 additional oocytes for INa-hH1 and 6 oocytes for IKs-minK+KvLQT1.

Positive IgG Cross-Reacted With L-Type Ca Channel {alpha}1-Subunit
To unambiguously demonstrate a direct interaction of positive IgG with Ca channel {alpha}1C protein, we immunoprecipitated {alpha}1C subunit from membranes of oocytes injected with {alpha}1C subunit cRNA. A representative Western blot of 6 experiments is shown in Figure 5Down. Lane 1 shows Card I used as positive control, lane 2 positive IgG, lane 3 negative IgG, and lane 4 Card I after the blots of lane 3 were stripped. The {alpha}1C subunit was detected as a band migrating above 200 kDa by Card I, as previously reported,22 and positive IgG but not negative IgG. This provides evidence that positive IgG directly cross-reacts with the {alpha}1C subunit. Western blot experiments for T-type {alpha}1H were not performed because antibodies against T-type Ca channel protein are not yet available.



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Figure 5. Cross-reactivity of positive IgG with L-type Ca channel {alpha}1C protein. SDS-PAGE analysis of {alpha}1C protein immunoprecipitated with Card I antibody from oocytes injected with L-type Ca channel {alpha}1C subunit cRNA. Lane 1 shows reactivity to Card I, lane 2 to positive IgG, and lane 3 to negative IgG. Lane 4 shows reactivity to Card I after blot of lane 3 was stripped (this was done to demonstrate that {alpha}1C protein was present when subjected to negative IgG). Similar results were found in 5 additional experiments.


*    Discussion
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
*Discussion
down arrowReferences
 
The results presented here demonstrate that (1) positive IgG containing anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies from mothers whose children have CHB inhibited both L-type and T-type Ca channels but did not affect Na and K channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes; (2) the inhibitory effect of positive IgG was more marked ({approx}51%) on L-type Ca channels than T-type Ca channels ({approx}19%); (3) positive IgG inhibited IBa-{alpha}1C and IBa-{alpha}1C 2a+{alpha}2/{delta} to a similar extent; (4) pretreatment of oocytes with atropine or acetylcholine did not alter the inhibition of expressed L-type IBa by positive IgG; (5) negative IgG did not affect either L- or T-type IBa; and (6) immunoblot data unequivocally showed direct interaction between positive IgG and L-type Ca channel {alpha}1C subunit.

Maternal Antibody Inhibition of Expressed L-Type Ca Channels
The present findings that positive IgG, but not negative IgG, functionally inhibits Ca channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes are consistent with previous data from our laboratory in cardiac myocytes.10 13 Although we do not exclude the possibility that other endogenous auxiliary subunits, such as ß-subunits, may be functionally associated with the expressed {alpha}1-subunit, our Western blot experiments unambiguously demonstrate that maternal autoantibodies directly cross-react with the pore-forming {alpha}1-subunit (Figure 5Up). The {alpha}1C subunit migrated at >200 kDa, and its size was similar to that expressed in oocytes reported by others.22

Conversely, the inhibition of IBa was not affected by pretreatment with atropine (a muscarinic receptor blocker). Bacman et al20 reported that IgG present in the sera of patients with CHB and their mothers could bind and activate muscarinic cholinergic receptors of neonatal rat atrial preparations. This raises the possibility that the inhibitory effect of positive IgG on IBa may be, at least in part, due to the activation of muscarinic receptors. Using an oocyte expression system, we did not find any difference in the inhibition of the expressed IBa by positive IgG in the absence and presence of atropine, suggesting either that the inhibitory effect of positive IgG does not involve muscarinic receptors or, alternatively, that oocyte muscarinic receptors are not coupled with expressed Ca channels. The present oocyte experiments do not rule out the possible regulation of Ca channels by positive IgG through normally coupled sarcolemmal receptors in native cardiocytes.

Maternal Antibody Inhibition of Expressed T-Type Ca Channels
Our data showed that maternal antibody blocks not only L-type Ca channels but also T-type Ca channels. Because T-type Ca channels have been implicated in the pacemaker activity in the heart,23 these findings may provide, at least in part, an ionic basis for the sinus bradycardia reported in murine models of CHB.10 11 This is further supported by in vivo data in conscious rats24 and in anesthetized dogs25 demonstrating a decrease in heart rate by mibefradil. Similar dose-dependent decreases in heart rate have been reported in humans.26 These novel findings are of clinical importance because it is only recently that clinicians caring for infants with CHB have begun focusing their attention on sinus bradycardia in addition to atrioventricular (AV) node conduction abnormalities. In this regard, Brucato et al27 confirmed the sinus bradycardia we reported in the murine model11 in infants born to mothers seropositive to SSA/Ro antibodies.

Maternal Antibody Did Not Affect Na and K Channels
Positive IgG failed to affect expressed INa-hH1 and IKs-minK+KvLQT1 in oocytes. These findings are consistent with those obtained in native cardiac myocytes13 showing lack of effect of positive IgG on fast INa, Ito, and IK1. Furthermore, the lack of effect on these channels suggests that positive IgG preferentially interacts with Ca channels.

Pathogenesis of CHB
Available autopsies from affected infants showed the existence of myocarditis and fibrosis of the AV node.28 29 Because circulating maternal autoantibodies are directed against intracellular autoantigens, hypotheses have been proposed that intracellular SSA/Ro and SSA/La proteins are being trafficked to the cell surface during development by the induction of stress proteins, hormonal influences, viral infection, or apoptosis.30 31 32 33 The mechanisms by which these events alter AV conduction in fetal heart remain unclear.

It is only recently that electrophysiological and functional data10 11 12 13 proposed alternative explanations for CHB pathogenesis. Active10 and passive11 animal models for CHB have been established. Immunized pregnant mice gave birth to pups with complete AV block and significant sinus bradycardia. Furthermore, positive IgG induced AV block and bradycardia in acutely perfused isolated hearts and inhibited L-type Ca current from isolated cardiac myocytes.10 12 13 These findings suggest that apparent pathological changes, such as inflammation, are not necessarily a primary event for this disease and that the autopsy evidence may represent an advanced stage of the maternal antibody blockade of Ca channels, which play a vital role in the excitation-contraction coupling of the developing heart.

Consequences of L- and T-Type Ca Channel Blockade by Maternal Antibodies
L-type Ca channels are widespread in the cardiovascular system and are crucial in action potential propagation, conduction in the AV node, and excitation-contraction coupling in the heart. Blockade of L-type Ca channels by positive IgG coincides with the conduction block at the AV node and with the clinical finding that infants with CHB often have diminished ventricular function and heart failure.29 34 The function of the T-type Ca channel is less clearly defined, but it is thought to be involved in pacemaker activity in the heart.23

L-type Ca channel density is lower35 and sarcoplasmic reticulum is less abundant36 in fetal heart cells than in adult cardiac cells. Thus, blockade of Ca channels by autoantibodies will impose a further burden on those marginally functioning Ca channels. It is also possible that prolonged and chronic exposure of fetal cardiac Ca channels to maternal antibodies could result in downregulation of the channels by internalization, leading to cell death, further exposing the intracellular SSA/Ro and SSB/La antigens to the circulating autoantibodies and ultimately resulting in inflammation, fibrosis, and at later stages, calcification. Thus, it is possible that the pathogenic activity of these autoantibodies may be primarily through Ca channel blockade and that the SSA/Ro and SSB/La ribonucleoproteins contribute as a secondary mechanism. Taken together, the present findings and those from several previous reports10 12 13 make the direct interaction of positive IgG with Ca channels an attractive hypothesis that could account, at least in part, for the pathogenesis of CHB.


*    Acknowledgments
 
This work was supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant HL-55401 and a VA Merit Grant Award (to Dr Boutjdir).


*    Footnotes
 
Guest Editor for this article was Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, Circulation Research Editorial Office, Baltimore, Md.

Received June 26, 2000; revision received September 13, 2000; accepted October 4, 2000.


*    References
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
up arrowDiscussion
*References
 

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