Author/Editor     Lakota, Katja; Thallinger, Gerhard G; Sodin-Šemrl, Snežna; Rozman, Blaž; Ambrožič, Aleš; Tomšič, Matija; Praprotnik, Sonja; Čučnik, Saša; Mrak-Poljšak, Katjuša; Kveder, Tanja
Title     International cohort study of 73 anti-Ku-positive patients: association of p70/p80 anti-Ku antibodies with joint/bone features and differentiation of disease populations by using principal-components analysis
Type     članek
Source     Arthritis Res Ther
Vol. and No.     Letnik 14, št. 1
Publication year     2012
Volume     str. R2
Language     eng
Abstract     Introduction: An international cohort study of 73 anti-Ku-positive patients with different connective tissue diseases was conducted to differentiate the anti-Ku-positive populations of patients based on their autoantibody profile and clinical signs/symptoms and to establish possible correlations between antibodies against Ku p70 and Ku p80 with autoimmune diseases. Methods: Sera of anti-Ku-positive patients were collected from six European centers and were all secondarily tested (in the reference center); 73 were confirmed as positive. Anti-Ku antibodies were detected with counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), line immunoassay (LIA), and immunoblot analyses. All clinical and laboratory data were follow-up cumulative data, except for anti-Ku antibodies. Statistical analyses were performed by using R (V 2.12.1). The Fisher Exact test was used to evaluate the association between anti-Ku antibodies and diagnosis, gender, clinical signs, and other observed antibodies. The P values were adjusted for multiple testing. Separation of disease populations based on the presence of antibodies and clinical signs was investigated by principal-components analysis, which was performed by using thr// R's prcomp function with standard parameters. Results: A 16% higher prevalence of anti-Ku p70 was found over anti-Ku p80 antibodies. In 41 (57%) patients, a combination of both was detected. Five (7%) patients, who were CIE and/or LIA anti-Ku positive, were negative for both subsets, as detected with the immunoblot; 31% of the patients had undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD); 29% had systemic sclerosis (SSc); 18% had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); 11% had rheumatoid arthritis; 7% had polymyositis; and 3% had Sjogren syndrome. (Abs. trunc. at 2000 ch.)
Descriptors     CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASES
AUTOANTIBODIES
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
COUNTERIMMUNOELECTROPHORESIS
IMMUNOBLOTTING
IMMUNOASSAY
FOLLOW-UP STUDIES
COHORT STUDIES
MULTICENTER STUDIES
EUROPE