The significance of dense fine speckled pattern in antinuclear antibody-associated rheumatic disease and coexisting autoantibodies: A propensity score-matched cohort study
Chiao-Feng Cheng
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorTing-Yuan Lan
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorJui-Hung Kao
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorCheng-Hsun Lu
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorYu-Cheng Chang
Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorYi-Min Huang
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorFeng-Jung Yang
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorJen-Hao Chen
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorYen-Chun Lin
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChieh-An Chuang
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChih-Hui Chang
Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorKo-Jen Li
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChieh-Yu Shen
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Song-Chou Hsieh
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence
Song-Chou Hsieh, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100, Taiwan.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorChiao-Feng Cheng
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorTing-Yuan Lan
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorJui-Hung Kao
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorCheng-Hsun Lu
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorYu-Cheng Chang
Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorYi-Min Huang
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorFeng-Jung Yang
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorJen-Hao Chen
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorYen-Chun Lin
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChieh-An Chuang
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChih-Hui Chang
Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorKo-Jen Li
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChieh-Yu Shen
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Song-Chou Hsieh
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence
Song-Chou Hsieh, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Zhongshan S. Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100, Taiwan.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aim
To investigate the relationship between the prevalence of antinuclear antibody (ANA) -associated rheumatic diseases (AARD) and the presence of dense fine speckled (DFS) and homogeneous patterns in ANA tests.
Methods
This retrospective study enrolled adult patients with either a DFS or homogeneous pattern in their ANA test. A mixed pattern was defined as the presence of more than one pattern reported in the test. The presence of anti-DFS70 antibodies and other common autoantibodies were detected using EUROLINE ANA Profile 23. A 1:2 propensity score matching was applied to control for demographic and other interfering factors.
Results
A total of 59 patients with a DFS pattern were enrolled and compared with a matched homogeneous group. The DFS group had a significantly lower prevalence of AARD (3.4% vs. 16.9%, p = .008) and the subgroup with anti-DFS70 antibodies showed an even lower prevalence (2% vs. 20%, p = .002). Among the 33 patients with monospecific anti-DFS70 antibodies, five had a mixed pattern, and all patients with common autoantibodies had an isolated DFS pattern.
Conclusions
The findings of this study suggest that patients with a DFS pattern in their ANA test may have a lower prevalence of AARD compared with those with a homogeneous pattern. However, an isolated DFS pattern in ANA testing does not necessarily indicate the presence of monospecific anti-DFS70 antibodies or AARD. Confirmatory testing for the monospecific anti-DFS70 antibody is mandatory to exclude AARD.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data are available upon reasonable request.
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