Antibodies to mitotic spindle apparatus: clinical significance of NuMA and HsEg5 autoantibodies.
BACKGROUND
The clinical associations of NuMA and HsEg5 antibodies, the main anti-mitotic spindle apparatus autoantibodies, remain unclear due to their extremely low prevalence.


METHODS
We have analysed the clinical data of 40 anti-NuMA- (0.87 per thousand) and 7 anti-HsEg5- (0.15 per thousand) positive patients detected during routine immunofluorescence examination of 45,804 sera. NuMA reactivity was further confirmed by immunoblotting.


RESULTS
Antibodies to HsEg5 did not associate with any specific pathology. NuMA positivity associated with a diagnosis of connective tissue disease (CTD) in 18 patients (45%), primary Sjögren or sicca syndrome and undifferentiated connective tissue disease being the most represented. Seven patients (17.5%) were diagnosed with different organ-specific autoimmune diseases, whereas in the other 15 patients (37.5%), no autoimmune pathology could be documented.


CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, although both anti-mitotic spindle apparatus antibodies are not associated to a defined autoimmune pathology, the presence of NuMA antibodies, mainly at high titers, may be an indication for a more extensive screening of CTD.
Mozo
Lourdes
L
Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Celestino Villamil s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain. lourdes.mozo@sespa.princast.es
Gutiérrez
Carmen
C
Gómez
Jesús
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D016547:Kinesins / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C050045:NUMA1 protein, human; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D016547:Kinesins