Autoantibodies against alpha-fodrin in Sjogren's syndrome with neurological manifestations

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J Rheumatol. 2004 Mar;31(3):500-3.

Autoantibodies against alpha-fodrin in Sjogren's syndrome with

neurological manifestations.

de Seze J, Dubucquoi S, Fauchais AL, Hachulla E, Matthias T, Lefranc D,

Hatron PY, Vermersch P, Witte T.

Department of Neurology, University of Lille, Lille, France.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of autoantibodies against

alpha-fodrin in patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) with neurological

manifestations compared to SS patients without neurological

manifestations, a control group, and patients with other neurological

autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with

neurological manifestations and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We

evaluated alpha-fodrin autoantibodies in 31 patients with SS with

neurological manifestations, 53 SS patients without neurological

symptoms, 38 patients with SLE, 60 with MS, and 160 controls. RESULTS:

Twenty of the 31 SS patients with neurological manifestations (64.5%)

had an increased concentration of IgA and/or IgG anti-alpha-fodrin. This

was not statistically different from that of SS patients without

neurological symptoms (73.6%), but was higher than the number with

SSA/SSB antibodies, which were found in 15 (48%) of our SS patients

without neurological manifestations. When the results of the 2 tests

were combined, 28 of the 31 (90.3%) patients had positive autoantibodies

(alpha-fodrin and/or SSA/SSB). Alpha-fodrin antibodies were increased in

8 (13.3%) of the 60 patients with MS, in 6 (15.7%) of 38 patients with

SLE, and in 10 (6.3%) of 160 controls.

CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that alpha-fodrin antibodies are an

additional diagnostic tool for SS. This test is of particular interest

for patients with SS with neurological manifestations, in whom anti

SSA/SSB antibodies are less frequently found.

PMID: 14994394

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