[What can be expected of biological tests in scleroderma?].
Biological investigations are useful from three main view points in systemic scleroderma: diagnosis: the demonstration of antinuclear antibodies which are quite specific for these conditions: antinuclear anti-ECT (nRNP, Scl 70, KU, PM 1) and anticentromere antibodies; prognosis: the presence of some antibodies is associated with a more favourable outcome: anti-nRNP and Sharp's syndrome, anti-centromere and the CREST syndrome, anti-KU and syndromes overlapping with polymyositis; pathogenic: the study of abnormalities of T-lymphocyte function, immunogenetic (HLA grouping) studies, cytotoxic factors for vascular endothelium, mitogenic factors of fibroblasts and the "chromosome breaking" factor.
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008934:Mitogens; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D008934:Mitogens; D003165:Complement System Proteins
Que peut-on attendre des examens biologiques dans les sclérodermies?