title: Antihistone antibodies in systemic sclerosis. Association with pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and clinical significance of antihistone antibodies (AHA) in systemic sclerosis (SSc).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from patients with limited cutaneous SSc (n = 44), diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc; n = 48), and other SSc-related disorders (n = 22) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting for AHA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AHA were demonstrated in 29% of the 92 SSc patients and in 44% of those with dcSSc. The presence of AHA correlated with severe pulmonary fibrosis in those with dcSSc. Immunoblotting revealed that the predominant antigen was histone H1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AHA might be a serologic indicator of the severity of pulmonary fibrosis in SSc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takehara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006657:Histones