REVIEW - Anti-Scl-70

[Guest guest]

Autoimmunity. 2005 Feb;38(1):65-72.

Anti-Scl-70.

Basu D, Reveille JD.

Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, The University of

Texas-Houston Health Science Center, 77030, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an overview focusing on the utility of anti-Scl-70

autoantibody determinations in the rheumatic diseases. METHODS: Articles

from electronic literature searches were retrieved, critiqued and data were

extracted and pooled on anti-Scl-70 (topoisomerase I) in relation to

history, optimal tests used for its detection, sensitivity, specificity,

positive and negative likelihood ratios, indications, interpretation and

pitfalls. RESULTS: Anti-Scl 70 antibodies are very useful in distinguishing

systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients from healthy controls, from patients with

other connective tissue diseases, and from unaffected family members. Among

patients with SSc, anti-Scl-70 positivity is useful in predicting those at

higher risk for diffuse cutaneous involvement and interstitial

fibrosis/restrictive lung disease, though the latter has not been

universally observed. Of the four different techniques notably

immunodiffusion, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked

immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used to assay anti-Scl-70, immunodiffusion has

been the most extensively validated. ELISAs are somewhat less specific than

other techniques, especially in distinguishing SSc patients from those with

other rheumatic diseases, though newer generation ELISAs have been developed

to overcome the problem of low specificity inherent with the traditional

techniques. As of yet, the need for serial testing of anti-Scl-70 has not

been established.

CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based guidelines suggest that anti-Scl-70 antibodies

are very useful in the diagnosis and clinical management of SSc patients and

also to establish prognosis in these patients, particularly those with

diffuse skin involvement.

PMID: 15804707

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=15804707 & itool=iconabstr & query_hl=2 & itool=pubmed_DocSum

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org