title: The clinical impact of Anti-DFS70 antibodies in undifferentiated connective tissue disease: case reports and a review of the literature.
abstract: Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity suggests CTD but can also lead to a diagnosis of UCTD when a patient does not fulfill the CTD diagnostic criteria. An anti-dense fine speckled (DFS) immunofluorescence (IIF) pattern can be observed when using an ANA test on HEp-2 cells and is due to the presence of antibodies to the nuclear DFS70 antigen that has rarely found in CTD. Serological testing for anti-DFS70 antibodies could therefore play a very interesting negative predictive role in stratifying patients on the basis of the evolution of UCTD to CTD. We described two patients ANA and anti-DFS70 positive in which the use of new method allowing the immunoadsorption of anti-DFS70 antibodies has permitted to exclude the incorrect diagnosis of CTD.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Allergology, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy. maria2.infantino@uslcentro.toscana.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Infantino
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Allergology, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meacci
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Allergology, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Allergology, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li Gobbi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, L. Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarzi-Puttini
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Orthopedic Institute of Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atzeni
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benucci
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology*; D000074079:Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; C504649:PSIP1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Anti-DFS70 antibodies; Anti-nuclear antibodies; Undifferentiated connective tissue disease