Association of anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60 and anti-La antibodies with diagnostic, clinical and laboratory features in a referral hospital in Jerez, Spain.

OBJECTIVE: Several antibodies have proven to be useful in autoimmune diseases, as markers for diagnosis, prognosis or clinical manifestations. Our objective was to evaluate the diagnosis and manifestations associated for antibodies anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60 and anti-La at a referral hospital in Spain. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the antigenic specificities of the consecutive samples submitted to the Immunology Unit for antinuclear antibody screening between 2002 and 2012. We included patients with more than one positive sample for some of the autoantibodies anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60 or anti-La. We also reviewed diagnosis, clinical and laboratory features. As dependent variable we evaluated possible combinations of anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60 and anti-La. RESULTS: 322 patients, 91% females, were studied (age 44.3±15.51 years). The most frequent diagnosis was Sjögren's syndrome (40.06%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (36.6%). The most prevalent pattern by indirect immunofluorescence was the fine speckled (69.9%). Anti-Ro52+/anti-Ro60+/anti-La+ combination was positively associated with fine speckled pattern (p: 0.001) and negatively with homogeneous (p: 0.016) and cytoplasmic pattern (p: 0.002). Isolated anti-Ro52+ was negatively associated with fine speckled pattern (p<0.001) and positively with the cytoplasmic one (p<0.001). The main positive associations with clinical symptoms were xerostomia and xerophthalmia with anti-Ro52+/anti-Ro60+/anti-La+ (p<0.001), oral ulcers with anti-Ro52+/anti-Ro60+/anti-La- (p: 0.002) and alopecia with anti-Ro52-/anti-Ro60+/anti-La- (p: 0.003). Negative associations were xerophthalmia and photosensitivity with anti-Ro52+/anti-Ro60-/anti-La- (p: 0.003). Laboratory positive associations were hypergammaglobulinemia with anti-Ro52+/anti-Ro60+/anti-La+ (p: 0.003), and hypocomplementemia with anti-Ro52-/anti-Ro60+/anti-La- (p: 0.003). Leucopenia was negatively associated with anti-Ro52+/anti-Ro60-/anti-La- (p: 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our study found significant relationships between clinical and laboratory manifestations with different patterns of antibodies to anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60 and anti-La. The combination of antibodies might be clinically useful due to prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Lupus eritematoso cutáneo subagudo (LECSA): a propósito de 17 casos con anticuerpo anti-Ro positivo / Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE): 17 patients with anti-Ro antibodies

Se presentan, analizan y comparan con otras series los hallazgos dermatológicos, clínicos, histopatológicos e inmunológicos de 17 casos de lupus eritematoso cutáneo subagudo (LECSA) con anticuerpos (Ac) anti-Ro positivos.Las manifestaciones dermatológicas de nuestros pacientes fueron lesiones papuloescamosas policíclicas, más frecuentes que las psoriasiformes. Se localizaban preferentemente en miembros superiores, dorso y zonas de exposición sola. Presentaban un borde eritematovesiculoso bien delimitado. Otras lesiones adoptaron la forma de reloj de arena. Estas manifestaciones fueron recurrentes con períodos de actividad y calma. También fueron relevantes la fotosensibilidad, la hipopigmentación y, en algunos casos, discreta atrofia. Histopatológicamente lo más destacable fue la degeneración vacuolar de la capa basal de queratinocitos y la ausencia de hiperqueratosis folicular, diferenciándose del lupus eritematoso discoide crónico (LEDC). Las restantes lesiones se parecían a las del lupus eritematosos sistémico (LES), pero con menor intensidad. Hubo poco engrosamiento de la menbrana basal PAS positiva, y el infiltrado linfocitario subpapilar y perivascular fue escaso. En algunos casos se demostró edema dérmico alcian blue positivo, poniendo de manifiesto la presencia de mucina. A diferencia de lo relatado por otros autores, encontramos discreta atrofia en 4 pacientes. Lo más significativo de los exámenes inmunológicos fue la presencia del Ac anti-Ro en el 100% de los enfermos y el anti-La solo en el 17,6%. Fue criterio de inclusión para esta serie tener anti-Ro positivo con anti-ADN y anti-Sm negativos. El FAN fue positivo en el 70%. Con respecto a las manifestaciones clínicas generales, se observaron artritis/artralgias en el 100% de los casos. Las lesiones fueron simétricas, no erosivas ni deformantes. Un solo enfermo tuvo pleuresia y glomerulonefritis crónica difusa...

Clinical, histopathologic, and immunological findings in 17 patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) and Roantibodies are described. Skin manifestations consisted of recurrent, polycyclical, circumscribed papulosquamous, psoriasiform, or hourglass-like lesions with vesiculoerythematous borders, mainly on the upper limbs, back, and sun-exposed areas. Photosensitivity, hypopigmentation, and occasionally mild atrophy were also noted. Histopathologic features included vacuolar degenerative changes involving keratinocyte basement membrane. Unlike chronic discoid lupus erythematosus lesions, follicular hyperkeratosis was absent. Although other characteristics were similar to those seen in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, specimens from SCLE showed less basement membrane thickening and inflammatory cell infiltrates. A few samples revealed positive alcian blue staining for dermal mucin. Only four patients had moderateatrophy. Since only Ro-positive, and DNA- and Sm-negative patients were assessed, immunological studies showed Ro antibodies in 100%of cases and La antibodies in 17.6%. FAN measurements using rat liver and Hep-2 cells were positive in 70% of patients. SCLE was associated with symmetrical, non-erosive, and non-deforming arthritis/arthralgia in all patients, vasculitis in three (17.8%), Raynaud’s syndrome in two (11.8%), pleuritis and chronic glomerulonephritis in one, and panniculitis in one. Ro antibody screening tests were reviewed.