RESEARCH - Clinical and diagnostic value of ribosomal P autoantibodies in SLE

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Rheumatology Advance Access published online on June 5, 2009

Rheumatology, doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kep142

Clinical and diagnostic value of ribosomal P autoantibodies in

systemic lupus erythematosus

Samy Haddouk1, Sameh Marzouk2, Moez Jallouli2, Hajer Fourati1, Makram

Frigui2, Youssef B. H. Hmida1, Faten Koubaa1, Wassim Sellami3, Sofiene

Baklouti4, Jamil Hachicha5, Zouheir Bahloul2 and Hatem Masmoudi1

1Immunology Laboratory, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital of

Sfax,2Department of Medicine,3Department of Psychiatry,4Department of

Rheumatology and 5Department of Nephrology, Hédi Chaker University

Hospital of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia

Abstract

Objective. To analyse prospectively the diagnostic sensitivity and

specificity as well as the clinical relevance of ribosomal P (anti-P)

autoantibodies in a large cohort of SLE patients.

Methods. The anti-P autoantibodies were evaluated in the serum of 200

Tunisian SLE patients at disease onset and 130 various control

subjects by a sensitive immunodot assay. A complete laboratory

evaluation and clinical examination were performed in each SLE

patient. During the follow-up, the patients were regularly monitored

for clinical parameters. Global SLE activity was measured by the

ECLAM.

Results. The sensitivity and specificity of anti-P testing for SLE

were 23.5 and 98.4%, respectively. The anti-P-positive samples 14/47

(29.8%), 27/47 (57.4%) and 5/47 (10.6%) were negative for anti-dsDNA,

anti-Sm or both antibodies, respectively. The anti-P-positive patients

showed more active disease activity and a much higher prevalence of

arthritis. An association between IgG aCLs and anti-P antibodies was

also found. However, anti-P antibodies were not associated with

neuropsychiatric manifestations or lupus nephritis.

Conclusion. This study does not seem to confirm the described

association of anti-P antibodies with neuropsychiatric manifestations

of SLE. However, it supports the anti-P antibody association with

arthritis and disease activity as well as the presence of aCL. Based

on our study and other related studies, we propose that, akin to

anti-Sm and anti-dsDNA, anti-P antibodies detected by one agreed

method may be considered for inclusion as a criterion for the

classification of SLE.

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/kep142v1?papetoc

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