Nonprecipitating Anti-La(SS-B) Autoantibodies in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome

Anti-La(SS-B) precipitin-negative sera show a restricted epitope recognition and can be easily overlooked in routine laboratory testing. We have therefore determined the prevalence of nonprecipitating anti-La(SS-B) antibodies in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and studied their clinica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical immunology and immunopathology 1996-06, Vol.79 (3), p.314-318
Main Authors: Beer, Renee G., Rischmueller, Maureen, Coates, Toby, Purcell, Anthony W., Keech, Catherine L., McCluskey, James, Gordon, Tom P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies, Antinuclear - immunology
Autoantigens - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Molecular Weight
Ribonucleoproteins - immunology
RNA, Small Cytoplasmic
Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis
Sjogren's Syndrome - immunology
SS-B Antigen
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Summary:Anti-La(SS-B) precipitin-negative sera show a restricted epitope recognition and can be easily overlooked in routine laboratory testing. We have therefore determined the prevalence of nonprecipitating anti-La(SS-B) antibodies in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and studied their clinical and immunological associations. Clinical details were obtained from 68 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, and serum samples were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using purified recombinant La, 60-kDa Ro, and 52-kDa Ro proteins and by counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Thirteen patients (19%) were identified with anti-La antibodies which were nonprecipitating. These patients had similar clinical findings to other groups of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, but had significantly lower rheumatoid factor and serum IgG levels than patients with anti-La precipitins. None of the patients with nonprecipitating anti-La antibodies had previously contained anti-La precipitins in their sera. Furthermore, they tended to have lower levels of antibodies directed against denatured 60-kDa Ro (but not 52-kDa Ro) compared with anti-La precipitin-positive patients. Patients with Sjögren's syndrome associated with nonprecipitating anti-La antibodies represent a stable serological and clinical subset in which there appears to be limited diversification of the autoimmune response to the Ro60 and La proteins of the Ro/La ribonucleoprotein.
ISSN:0090-1229
1090-2341
DOI:10.1006/clin.1996.0084