title: Prevalence and clinical profiles of 'autoantibody-negative' systemic sclerosis subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of autoantibody negative systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to identify the clinical correlates thereof.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data and sera from 874 SSc subjects were collected and autoantibodies were tested in a central laboratory using 1) indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), 2) commercially available ELISA, addressable laser bead immunoassay (ALBIA), and line immunoassay (LIA), and 3) a sensitive immunoprecipitation (IP) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen (15; 1.7%) subjects were autoantibody negative by IIF, ELISA, ALBIA, LIA and IP, and 16 (1.8%) were antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive by IIF but otherwise negative by ELISA, ALBIA, LIA and IP. Thirty-seven (37; 4.2%) were ANA positive by IIF, autoantibody negative by commercially available immunoassays, but had autoantibodies identified by IP (including Th/To in 20). Autoantibody-negative subjects had generally less severe disease than positive subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autoantibody-negative SSc is rare (<2%) and appears to be associated with a favourable prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada. marie.hudson@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: J Y F
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tatibouet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fritzler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D045743:Scleroderma, Diffuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D045745:Scleroderma, Limited / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies