title: Anti-SSB/La antibodies in Sjögren's syndrome and related autoimmune diseases. Results of a quantitative immunoassay using a highly purified antigen.
abstract: A quantitative immunoassay using a highly purified antigen from HeLa cells has allowed us to detect antibodies to SSB/La in 11/20 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 15/33 with SLE, and 11/35 with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). However, positive results were found in only 2/12 patients with idiopathic Raynaud's disease and 2/20 with rheumatoid arthritis, including 4 with secondary SS. Anti-SSB/La were associated with extraglandular manifestations in primary SS, and with a diffuse sclerodermic pattern in PSS. In SS, SLE and PSS, a positive anti-SSB/La test was strongly associated with nodal or spleen enlargement and with an increased level of gamma-globulins. A direct association was also found with positive tests for rheumatoid factors, anti-SSA/Ro and anti-Scl 70. An inverse relationship was however found with anti-nRNP +/- Sm and anticentromere antibodies. Our data suggest that anti-SSB/La antibodies can be regarded as a marker of B-lymphocyte activation in patients with either primary SS, SLE or PSS.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Terapia Medica, Universita' di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montecucco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bestagno
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caporali
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carnevale
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Longhi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pedrini
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Astaldi-Ricotti
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; C035357:SS-B antibodies