Autoantibodies called ATAs appear to speed disease progression, study finds by Margarida Maia, PhD from Scleroderma News About half of the people with suspected very early systemic sclerosis (SSc) may go on to develop definite disease, and those who test positive for anti-topoisomerase antibodies (ATAs) are more likely to experience faster disease progression. That’s according to a study from the Netherlands where the proportion of people who tested positive for ATA, autoantibodies associated with SSc, was very low among those with suspected very early disease. “The low ATA prevalence among patients with suspected very early SSc suggests swift disease progression in ATA-positive SSc and consequently a different approach to identify this subgroup before development of irreversible organ damage,” the researchers wrote. The study, “Progression from suspected to definite systemic sclerosis and the role of anti-topoisomerase I antibodies,” was published in the journal RMD Open. Diagnostic workup includes extensive testing SSc, also known as scleroderma, is characterized by self-reactive autoantibodies in the immune system attacking healthy tissues and causing them to become scarred. Scar tissue can build up in the skin and in internal organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs, and digestive tract. As part of the workup toward diagnosis, patients usually undergo examination for medical history, physical assessments, and various other tests, including blood tests to check for the presence of autoantibodies. Because not all patients meet the criteria for diagnosis, doctors came up with criteria for suspected very early SSc. The criteria consist of Raynaud’s phenomenon (fingers and toes that feel numb, prickly, and frigid in response to cold temperatures or stress), the presence of SSc-specific autoantibodies, puffy fingers, and changes in the small blood vessels under the fingernails. “Specific autoantibodies are important risk factors for progression from suspected very early SSc to definite SSc,” the researchers wrote. In earlier work, however, they found that only a small proportion of patients with suspected very early SSc tested positive for ATA. To know more about ATA and how these autoantibodies contribute to disease progression to definite SSc, the researchers carried out a review of the literature. |
AuthorScleroderma Queensland Support Group Archives
April 2024
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