Is apoptosis-associated acetylation on histone H2B an epitope for lupus autoantibodies?
The apoptosis-induced acetylation on H2BK12 is a target for autoantibodies in SLE. Since the anti-H2BK12ac reactivity was mainly found in pre-diseased lupus mice, this epitope seems important in the early phase of the anti-chromatin autoimmune response with subsequent epitope spreading to unmodified H2B.
This study suggests that ALS patients may have increased iron storage, as measured by increased serum ferritin and TSC. Elevated serum ferritin may also have a deleterious impact on survival in ALS.