title: Racial differences in the distribution of systemic sclerosis-related serum antinuclear antibodies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine racial differences in the frequencies of systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related serum antinuclear antibodies (ANA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested serum samples from 275 Japanese, 416 North American Caucasian, and 24 North American black SSc patients for 8 SSc-related serum ANA, using indirect immunofluorescence, double immunodiffusion, and radioimmunoprecipitation assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparing the 3 racial groups, we found that anti-U1 RNP, anti-RNA polymerase I, II, and III, and anti-U3 RNP antibodies were the most frequently detected antibodies in Japanese, Caucasian, and black patients, respectively. Anti-PM-Scl antibody was found exclusively in Caucasians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The production of SSc-related serum ANA is related to immunogenetic background.
authors.affiliation: Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuwana
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaburaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tojo
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Medsger
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D044466:Asian People; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D044383:Black People; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear