title: Prevalence of anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies in systemic sclerosis: New data from a French cohort and a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies assessing the prevalence of anti-RNA polymerase III (anti-RNAP III) antibodies in systemic sclerosis (SSc) have yielded a wide range of results. The aim of the present study was to describe a new SSc cohort tested for presence of anti-RNAP III and perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of anti-RNAP III in patients worldwide and the potential factors of variability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seropositivity for anti-RNAP III was evaluated in a French cohort of SSc patients. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in PubMed and EMBase. Meta-analysis was performed using available data on prevalence, clinical characteristics of SSc patients, and the types of assays used for anti-RNAP III testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred thirty-three French SSc patients were tested for anti-RNAP III, and a prevalence of 6-9% was found in these patients. Thirty studies representing a total population of 8,437 SSc patients were included in the meta-analysis. Prevalence of anti-RNAP III in this population was highly variable (range 0-41%). The overall pooled prevalence of anti-RNAP III was 11% (95% confidence interval 8-14), but heterogeneity was high among studies (I(2) = 93%, P < 0.0001). Geographic factors such as continent or country of study origin partially explained this heterogeneity and correlated with the prevalence. No other baseline SSc characteristics were significantly correlated with the prevalence of anti-RNAP III.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data on our new cohort and our meta-analysis of the literature confirmed that anti-RNAP III prevalence in SSc varies among centers. Geographic factors were significantly associated with prevalence, which underscores the probable implication that genetic background and environmental factors play a role. Heterogeneity among studies remained largely unexplained.
authors: Université Lille Nord de France, EA 2686, IMPRT IFR 114, Centre National de Référence de la Sclérodermie Systémique, and Hôpital Claude Huriez, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, Lille, France.
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Sobanski
authors: Luc
authors: L
authors: Dauchet
authors: Guillaume
authors: G
authors: Lefèvre
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Lambert
authors: Sandrine
authors: S
authors: Morell-Dubois
authors: Thierno
authors: T
authors: Sy
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Hachulla
authors: Pierre-Yves
authors: PY
authors: Hatron
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Launay
authors: Sylvain
authors: S
authors: Dubucquoi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000276:immunology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D012320:RNA Polymerase III