Clinical correlation of anticentromere antibodies.
A retrospective survey of all patients with a positive anticentromere antibody (ACA) determination was undertaken over a 3-years period of time in a university hospital. Forty-five patients were positive for anticentromere antibodies. The analysis of the clinical characteristics and diagnoses of the patients with anticentromere antibodies were correlated and showed a diverse array of symptoms. Only 4.4% had CREST syndrome, 6.7% had limited scleroderma, 17.8% had diffuse scleroderma, 20% had other connective tissue diseases, 20% had other miscellaneous rheumatic conditions, 11.1% had tumours and 20% other nonrheumatic diseases. The study shows that the presence of ACA, as detected during routine ANA-testing, does not strongly suggest a diagnosis of CREST at that time. The presence of a scleroderma-variant in almost 50% of the patients and the occurrence of Raynaud's phenomenon in 62% underscores, however, an association of ACA with (early) scleroderma-like disorders.
Zuber
M
M
German Research Center for Rheumatology, Berlin.
Gotzen
R
R
Filler
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D017675:CREST Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D002503:Centromere / Q000276:immunology*; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers