Autoantibodies against angiotensin and adrenergic receptors: more than a biomarker?

Agonistic autoantibodies (AAs) directed against receptors of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin–angiotensin system have been suggested to contribute to cardiovascular and renal disease, in particular hypertension, preeclampsia, and graft failure in kidney transplantation patients. Consequently, they are now also being studied as biomarker for these conditions. This commentary summarizes our current understanding of these AAs, critically discussing whether they truly act as agonist, and focusing on the wide array of assays that are currently used for their quantification.