Antinucleosome antibodies in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: a hint at systemic autoimmunity?

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J Autoimmun. 2008 Feb-Mar;30(1-2):51-7.

Antinucleosome antibodies in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: A hint at

systemic autoimmunity?

Andreoli L, Pregnolato F, Burlingame RW, Allegri F, Rizzini S, Fanelli V,

Radice A, Corace C, Sinico RA, Meroni PL, Tincani A.

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Spedali Civili, Piazzale Spedali

Civili 1, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Antinucleosome antibodies (anti-NCS) are reported to be highly

sensitive and specific for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to

correlate with disease activity. They may appear in early stages of the

disease, in particular before anti-dsDNA antibodies, being a potential

marker for identifying patients susceptible to SLE. Patients with primary

antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) may develop full-blown SLE but there is no

evidence for markers predictive for that. AIM: To evaluate whether anti-NCS

may be predictors for full-blown or lupus like disease (LL) in a cohort of

PAPS patients. METHODS: A multicentric cohort of 105 PAPS patients was

tested for IgG/IgM anti-NCS by using a home made assay with H1-stripped

chromatin as antigen. RESULTS: Eighty-one out of 105 (77%) of the patients

were positive for anti-NCS; medium-high titre results were present only in

49/105 (46%). Anti-NCS were more frequently detected in PAPS+LL, but no

relationship with clinical/serological features was found, except for a weak

correlation with anti-dsDNA antibodies. Two PAPS patients evolved into

full-blown SLE during the follow-up and displayed high titre anti-NCS many

years before.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that anti-NCS might be added to the mosaic

of autoimmune phenomena characterizing PAPS patients and in particular those

with more chance to evolve to SLE.

PMID: 18191541

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=18

191541

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