Immunoserological aspects of idiopathic inflammatory muscle disease.
In the present study, the autoantibody profile of 31 Slovenian patients with idiopathic inflammatory muscle disease was estimated: 11 with polymyositis, 11 with dermatomyositis--both groups diagnosed according to the criteria of Bohan and Peter--and 9 with myositis-overlap syndromes. Autoantibodies against most relevant muscle specific (Jo-1, Mi-2) and non-specific antigens (PM-Scl, U1RNP, native Ro, Ro60, Ro52, and La) were detected with one or more detection techniques: counter-immunoelectrophoresis, enzyme-linked immunoassay, immunoblot and immunoprecipitation, each using different antigen preparations (native, recombinant). With counter-immunoelectrophoresis using a native antigen substrate (rabbit thymus extract), we were able to detect anti-PM-Scl antibodies more readily than with other techniques, probably due to conformational epitopes of native PM-Scl. Patients with this serological profile constituted a distinct group, sharing features of polymyositis and systemic sclerosis. Compared to previously reported data, the greater frequency of anti-Jo-1 found in all groups of patients (64-87% for PM, 18-20% for dermatomyositis and 33-44% for overlap syndromes) was probably due to the various methods used and the different clinical characteristics of patients. The greater prevalence of anti-Mi-2 antibodies in dermatomyositis patients (67%) and in particular in polymyositis patients (33%) and myositis-overlap syndromes (33%) seemed to be mainly due to methodological differences. A strikingly high prevalence of anti-Ro52 positive patients with polymyositis (55%), dermatomyositis (22%), and myositis-overlap syndromes (33%) was demonstrated, but was detected by only one technique. Moreover, concurrence with anti-Jo-1 antibodies was noted (69%).
Rozman
B
B
Department of Rheumatology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia. kc.lj.rozman@siol.net
Bozic
B
B
Kos-Golja
M
M
Plesivcnik-Novljan
M
M
Kveder
T
T
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000097:blood*; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008297:Male; D009220:Myositis / Q000276:immunology*; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000276:immunology; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D017524:Slovenia; D013577:Syndrome
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; C045760:Mi-2 antibodies