The clinical significance of anti-nuclear protein B23 in systemic sclerosis / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical significance of anti-nuclear protein B23 antibody in systemic sclerosis. Methods Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect the serum antinuclear B23 autoantibody. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the clinical and autoantibody profiles between SSc patients with B23 antibody and those without B23 antibody. Logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the correlation between B23 antibody and clinical manifestations and autoantibody profiles. Results Mann-Whitney U test showed that, forced vital capacity (FVC) diffusion capacity of CO (DLco) in B23 positive SSc was significantly lower than that in B23 negative counterparts, pulmonary artery hypertension was more prevalent in B23 positive SSc patients. While anti-fibrillarin, anti-U1RNP, and antic entromere antibodies were more prevalent in B23 positive SSc. Multivariate logistic regression showed that anti-B23 antibody positivity was an independent risk factor for pulmonary artery hypertension in SSc (OR=123.92, 95％CI 26.67～575.66, P＜0.01), and a protective factor for severe gastrointestinal involvement (OR=0.08, 95％CI 0.01 ～0.70, P＜O.05). Logistic analysis showed that anti-B23 antibody was correlated with antifibrillarin (OR=11.50, 95％CI3.85～34.37, P＜0.01) and anti-U1RNP antibodies (OR=3.43, 95％CI 1.01～11.63, P＜0.05), and correlated with different degree of pulmonary artery hypertension. Conclusion The pulmonary artery pressure should be monitored closely in those SSc patients with a positive B23 antibody.