Prof. Cassian Sitaru

University of Freiburg, Germany

Email: cassian.sitaru@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Qualifications

1998 Ph.D., Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

1996 M.D., Iuliu Hatieganu University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Publications (Selected)

1. Kromminga A, Sitaru C, Meyer J, Arndt R, Schmidt E, Christophers E, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D. Cicatricial pemphigoid differs from bullous pemphigoid and pemphigoid gestationis regarding the fine specificity of autoantibodies to the BP180 NC16A domain. J Dermatol Sci 28:68-75, 20022 (IF 1.270)3
2. Sitaru C, Schmidt E, Petermann S, Munteanu LS, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D. Autoantibodies to bullous pemphigoid antigen 180 induce dermal-epidermal separation in cryosections of human skin. J Invest Dermatol 118:664-671, 2002.(IF 4.593)
3. Sitaru C, Kromminga A, Hashimoto T, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D. Autoantibodies to type VII collagen from patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita mediate Fcγ-dependent neutrophil recruitment and induce dermal-epidermal separation in cryosections of human skin. Am J Pathol 161:301-11, 2002. (IF 6.971)
4. Schmidt E, Kromminga A, Mimietz S, Leinfelder U, Sitaru C, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D, Zimmermamnn U. A highly sensitive and specific assay for the detection of circulating autoantibodies against full-lenght bullos pemphigoid antigen 180. J Autoimmun 18:299-309, 2002. (IF 2.176)
5. Leyendeckers H, Tasanen K, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Zillikens D, Sitaru C, Schmitz J, Hunzelmann N. Memory B cells specific for the NC16A Domain of the 180 kDa bullous pemphigoid autoantigen can be detected in peripheral blood of bullous pemphigoid patients and induced in vitro to synthesize autoantibodies. J Invest Dermatol 120:1-7, 2003. (IF 4.593)
6. Schmidt E, Klinker E, Opitz A, Sitaru C, Herzog S, Goebeler M, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D. Protein A immunoadsorption: A novel and effective adjuvant treatment of pemphigus. Br J Dermatol 148: 1222-1229, 2003. (IF 2.659)
7. Hirako Y, Nishizawa Y, Sitaru C, Opitz O, Marcus K, Meyer HE, Butt E, Owaribe K,
8. Zillikens D. The 97 kDa (LABD97) and 120 kDa (LAD-1) fragments of type XVII collagen/BP180 have different N-Termini. J Invest Dermatol 121:1554-1556, 2003. (IF 4.593)
9. Shimanovich I, Hirako Y, Sitaru C, Butt E, Hashimoto T, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D. The autoantigen of anti-p200 pemphigoid is an acidic noncollagenous N-linked glycoprotein of the cutaneous basement membrane. J Invest Dermatol 121:1402-1408, 2003. (IF 4.593)
10. Sitaru C, Powell J, Messer G, Br¨ocker E-B, Wojnarowska F, and Zillikens D. Immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of pemphigoid gestationis. Obstet Gynecol, 103:757-763, 2004. (IF 2.202)
11. Kromminga A, Sitaru C, Hagel C, Herzog S, Arndt R, Br¨ocker E-B, and Zillikens D. Development of an ELISA for the detection of autoantibodies to recombinant BP230. Clin Immunol, 111:146-52, 2004. (IF 2.564)
12. Shimanovich I, Mihai S, Oostingh G J, Ilenchuk T, Br¨ocker E-B, Opdenakker G, Zillikens D, Sitaru C. Granulocyte-derived elastase and gelatinase B are required for dermal-epidermal separation induced by autoantibodies from patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and bullous pemphigoid. J Pathol 204: 519-527, 2004. (IF 4.933)
13. Schmausser B, Josenhans C, Endrich S, Suerbaum S, Sitaru C, Androulis M, Br¨andlein S, Rieckmann P, M¨ uller-Hermelink HK, Eck M. CXCR1 and CXCR2 expression on human neutrophils is downregulated by Helicobacter pylori: a new pathomechanism in H. pylori infection? Infect Immun 72:6773-6779, 2004. (IF 3.875)
14. Lazarova Z, Sitaru C, Zillikens D, Yancey KB. Comparative analysis of methods for detection of anti-laminin 5 autoantibodies in patients with anti-epiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid. J Am Acad Dermatol 51:886-92, 2004. (IF 2.659)
15. Oostingh GJ, Sitaru C, Kromminga A, L¨uhrs H, Zillikens D. Subclass distribution of collagen type VII specific autoantibodies in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. J Dermatol Sci, 37:182-4, 2005. (IF 1.270)
16. Sitaru C, Mihai S, Otto C, Chiriac MT, Hau遝r I, Dotterweich B, Saito H, Rose C, Ishiko A, Zillikens D. Induction of dermal-epidermal separation in mice by passive transfer of antibodies to type VII collagen. J Clin Invest, 115:870-878, 2005. (IF 14.300)
17. Herrero-Gonzalez JE, Sitaru C, MD; Klinker E, Br¨ocker EB, Zillikens D. Successful adjuvant treatment of severe bullous pemphigoid by tryptophan immunoadsorption. Clin Exp Dermatol, 30:519-22, 2005. (IF 1.220)
18. Espa˜na A, del O’lmo J, Marquina M, Sitaru C. Penfigoide de mucosas: anticuerpos IgG e IgA contra el antigeno BP180. Actas Dermo-Sifiliograficas, 96:365-371, 2005.
19. Herrero-Gonzalez JE, Brauns O, Egner R, R¨onspeck W, Mascar′o JM, Jonkman MF, Zillikens D, Sitaru C. Immunoadsorption against two distinct epitopes on human type XVII collagen abolishes dermal-epidermal separation induced invitro by autoantibodies from pemphigoid gestationis patients.Eur J Immunol, 36:1039-48, 2006. (IF 5.01).
20. Olaru F, Mihai S, Petrescu I, Zillikens D, Sitaru C. Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against the intracellular domain of hemidesmosomal type XVII collagen. Hybridoma, 25:158-163, 2006. (IF 0.326)
21. Sitaru C, Chiriac MT, Mihai S, B¨uning J, Gebert A, Ishiko A, Zillikens D. Induction of complement-fixing autoantibodies against type VII collagen results in subepidermal blistering in mice. J Immunol, 177:3461-8, 2006. (IF 6.387)
22. Liu Z, Sui W, Zhao M, Li Z, Li N, Thresher R, Giudice GJ, Fairley JA, Sitaru C, Zillikens D, Ning G, Marinkovich MP, Diaz LA. Subepidermal blistering induced by human autoantibodies to BP180 requires innate immune players in a humanized bullous pemphigoid mouse model. J Autoimmunity, 31:331-8, 2008. (IF 7.8)
23. Sitaru AG, Sesarman A, Mihai S, Chiriac MT, Zillikens D, Solbach W, Hultman P, SitaruC. T cells are required for the production of blister-inducing autoantibodies in experimental epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. J Immunol, 184:1596-603, 2010. (IF 6)
24. Recke A, Sitaru C, Vidarsson G, Evensen M, Chiriac MT, Ludwig RJ, Zillikens D. Pathogenicity of IgG subclass autoantibodies to type VII collagen: induction of dermalepidermal separation.. J Autoimmunity, 34:435-44, 2010. (7.8)
25. Csorba K, Sesarman A, Oswald E, Feldrihan V, Fritsch A, Sitaru C. Cross-reactivity of autoantibodies from patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with murine collagen VII. Cell Mol Life Sci, 67:1343-51, 2010. (IF 6.01)
26. Baican A, Baican C, Chiriac G, Chiriac MT, Macovei V, Zillikens D, Ciuce D, Sitaru C. Pemphigus vulgaris is the most common autoimmune bullous disease in Northwestern Romania. Int J Dermatol, 49:768-774. (IF 1.17)
27. Nishie W, Lamer S, Schlosser A, Licarete E, Franzke CW, Hofmann SC, Jackow J, Sitaru C, Bruckner-Tuderman L. Ectodomain shedding generates neoepitopes on collagen XVII: role in autoimmune blistering diseases. J Immunol, 15;185:4938-47, 2010. (IF 6)
28. Kulkarni S, Sitaru C, Jakus Z, Anderson KE, Davidson D, Hirose M, Oxley D, Chessa TAM, Ramadani F, Guillou H, Segonds-Pichon A, Fritsch A, Jarvis GE, Okkenhaug K, Ludwig RJ, Zillikens D, Mocsai A, van Haesebroeck B, Stephens LR, Hawkins PT. Essential role for PI3Kβ in neutrophil activation by immune complexes. Sci Signal, 4(168):ra23, 2011.
29. Csorba K, Schmidt S, Florea F, Ishii N, Hashimoto T, Hertl M, K′ arp′ ati S, Bruckner- Tuderman L, Nishie W, Sitaru C. Development of an ELISA for sensitive and specific detection of IgA autoantibodies against BP180 in pemphigoid diseases. Orphanet J Rare Dis, 28;6:31, 2011. (IF 5.8)
30. van der Steen L, Bakema JE, Tuk CW, Sesarman A, Kirtschig G, Sitaru C, van Egmond M. IgA-FcαRI interactions induce severe tissue damage in chronic inflammatory diseases. Submitted
31. Sesarman A, Oswald E, Chiriac MT, Csorba K, Vuta V, Feldrihan V, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Sitaru C. Interaction of human IgG autoantibodies with murine innate immunity factors: implications for disease models using the passive transfer of IgG. Immunol Lett, in press (DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2012.01.006).
32. Oswald E, Sesarman A, Franzke CW, W¨olfle U, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Jakob T, Martin SF, Sitaru C. The flavonoid luteolin inhibits Fcγ-dependent respiratory burst in granulocytes, but not skin blistering in a new model of pemphigoid in adult mice PLoS ONE, in press
33. Chiriac MT, Licarete E, Sas AG, Rados AM, Lupan I, Chiriac AM, Speth H, Pop- Vancia V, Domsa I, Sesarman A, Popescu O, Sitaru C. Sheep antibodies to collagen XVII/BP180 are pathogenic in a novel model of bullous pemphigoid in adult wild-type mice. Submitted
34. Csorba K, Florea F, Licarete E, Vuta V, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Sitaru C. Mapping of pathogenic epitopes in experimental epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Submitted
35. Licarete E, Ganz G, Recknagel MJ, Di Zenzo G, Hashimoto T, Hertl M, Zambruno G, Hundorfean G, Mudter J, Neurath MF, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Sitaru C. Prevalence of collagen VII-specific autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Submitted
36. Sitaru C, Csorba K, Licarete E, Nemeth N, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Mocsai A. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) promotes granulocyte-mediated skin blistering induced by autoantibodies. Submitted
37. Vuta V, Nystr¨om A, Csorba K, Koch M, Keene DR, Bruckner-Tuderman L, Sitaru C. Non-inflammatory pathogenic effects of collagen VII-specific autoantibodies. Submitted.