Diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with anti-RNP autoimmunity
Abstract
Anti-RNP autoantibodies occur either in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) (with a frequently favorable prognosis), or in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases with aggressive major organ disease. It is uncertain how to assess for the risk of severe disease in anti-RNP + patients. Following institutional review board-approved protocols, clinical data and blood were collected from patients with known or suspected anti-RNP autoimmunity and normal controls in a cohort study. Samples were screened for parameters of immune activation. Groups were compared based on clinical diagnoses, disease classification criteria, disease activity and specific end-organ clinical manifestations. Ninety-seven per cent of patients satisfying Alarcon-Segovia MCTD criteria also met Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinic (SLICC) SLE criteria, while 47% of the anti-RNP + SLE patients also met MCTD criteria. Among SLICC SLE patients, MCTD criteria were associated with reduced rates of renal disease (odds ratio (OR) 4.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-14.0), increased rates of Raynaud's phenomenon (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.3-9.5) and increased serum B-cell maturation antigen, transmembrane activator and CAML interactor and TNFα levels. Circulat...Continue Reading
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Autoimmune diseases occur as a result of an attack by the immune system on the body’s own tissues resulting in damage and dysfunction. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, in which there is a complex and unknown interaction between genetics and the environment. Discover the latest research on autoimmune diseases here.