Clinical significance of anti-topoisomerase I antibody levels determined by ELISA in systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical associations of the levels of anti-topoisomerase I (topo I) antibody in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
Anti-topo I antibody levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In a longitudinal study, 125 sera from 21 patients were analysed during a follow-up period of 0.2-4.7 yr.


RESULTS
Anti-topo I antibody levels were correlated positively with skin thickness score and renal vascular resistance, and inversely with percentage vital capacity. In the longitudinal study, five patients with a low anti-topo I antibody level at their first visit exhibited a stable antibody level or a small decrease in the level during the follow-up period, and their skin sclerosis was stable. Of 16 patients with a high anti-topo I antibody level at their first visit, seven showed a stable level, four had an increasing level and five had a decreasing level. The decreasing levels were accompanied mainly by atrophic skin change during the follow-up period, whereas the increasing levels were associated with new onset or worsening of organ involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest the potential clinical significance of anti-topo I antibody levels in evaluating disease severity and the prognosis in SSc.
Sato
S
S
Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
Hamaguchi
Y
Y
Hasegawa
M
M
Takehara
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I