Antinuclear antibodies and clinical associations in a british cohort with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of disease-specific autoantibodies in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc).


METHODS
Sera from 180 patients with lcSSc were analyzed for antinuclear antibody (ANA). Clinical characteristics were compared in the presence or absence of specific autoantibodies.


RESULTS
SSc-specific antibodies were detected in 135 patients (75%). Associations were found between anticentromere antibody and age at lcSSc diagnosis, telangiectasia, reduced creatinine clearance, and selective reduction in DLCO, and between antitopoisomerase-I and pulmonary fibrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of patients with lcSSc belong to distinctive serologic subsets, potentially with prognostic significance.
Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
Angela E
AE
Gliddon
Caroline J
CJ
Doré
Juliet
J
Dunphy
Zoë
Z
Betteridge
Neil J
NJ
McHugh
Peter J
PJ
Maddison
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D045745:Scleroderma, Limited / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear