title: Anticentromere antibody in localized scleroderma.
abstract: Using metaphase chromosome spreads as substrate for indirect immunofluorescence technic, we observed anticentromere antibody in three of twenty-five patients affected with various clinical forms of localized scleroderma. Anticentromere antibody is generally considered a serologic marker of the CREST syndrome, a more benign subset of systemic sclerosis. However, none of the three anticentromere antibody-positive patients with localized scleroderma had Raynaud's phenomenon, acrosclerosis, or any signs or symptoms of systemic disease; on physical and laboratory examination, they showed only typical cutaneous features of localized scleroderma: two showed linear scleroderma, and one showed localized morphea. A 2-year 8-month follow-up of two patients did not disclose any clinical evidence of systemic sclerosis. The occurrence of anticentromere antibody in patients with localized scleroderma seems to offer supportive evidence that a relationship exists between localized scleroderma and systemic sclerosis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D002503:Centromere / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000276:immunology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear