title: Detection of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibody-producing cells in salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate and identify the presence of cells producing anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibodies in salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Submucosal salivary gland biopsy samples from 10 SS patients (8 with and 2 without circulating Ro and La autoantibodies) and 14 control subjects were evaluated. Frozen tissue sections were immunostained by an avidin-biotin complex technique, using biotinylated recombinant Ro and La proteins as detection reagents. Autoantibody levels in SS patient sera were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cells producing autoantibodies to the Ro 52-kd, Ro 60-kd, and La proteins were recorded in 8, 6, and 7 of the 10 SS patient biopsy samples, respectively. Samples from the 2 SS patients without circulating Ro and La autoantibodies were negative for these autoantibody-producing cells, as were all control biopsy samples. A strong positive correlation between the presence of autoantibodies in sera and the presence of autoantibody-producing cells in glandular biopsy tissues was evident. The number of autoantibody-producing cells and the serum autoantibody levels were also correlated (r(s)=0.94, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a novel technique, we have demonstrated the presence of Ro and La autoantibody-producing cells in salivary gland biopsy tissues from patients with SS. These findings indicate that anti-Ro/ SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibodies are produced and are present at sites of inflammation and indicate their potential involvement in the autoimmune exocrinopathy of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tengnér
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Halse
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Haga
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wahren-Herlenius
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D000097585:SS-B Antigen; D000099207:SS-A Antigen
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D020733:RNA, Small Cytoplasmic; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000097585:SS-B Antigen; D000099207:SS-A Antigen; C116006:RO60 protein, human