Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody inhibits apoptotic cell clearance by macrophages in pregnant NOD mice

Autoimmunity is a feature of celiac disease (CD) with tissue transglutaminase (tTG) as a major autoantigen. A correlation between gynecological-obstetric disorders in CD patients and the presence of circulating antibodies anti-tTG that inhibited tTG activity was reported. Serum anti-tTG antibodies were detected in a non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and Sjögren's syndrome, two comorbid states with CD. Since pregnancy complications have been described in NOD mice, we evaluated the ability of anti-tTG antibodies to affect the functions of tTG relevant to the normal course of an early pregnancy like extracellular matrix assembling and apoptotic cell phagocytosis by macrophages. Circulating IgG antibodies against tTG were detected in NOD mice with titers that decreased at early pregnancy; interestingly, the in vitro transamidating activity of tTG was reduced by NOD serum samples. Particularly, anti-tTG antibody inhibited apoptotic cell phagocytosis by peritoneal macrophages from pregnant NOD mice that express the enzyme on surface. Evidence provided support for a role for anti-tTG antibodies through reduced transamidating activity and reduced apoptotic cell clearance by the macrophages of pregnant NOD mice.