Antichromatin antibodies are a useful marker to identify scleroderma patients with renal impairment

الملخص EN

Objective: Although it only occurs in a minority of patients, renal involvement is a life-threatening complication of scleroderma.

We have investigated the frequency of ant chromatin antibodies (ACA) and their association with renal impairment in a group of systemic sclerosis patients.

Methods : Twenty two scleroderma patients and 12 healthy age and sex matched subjects as a control group was included in the study.

Serum ACA by ELISA and calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were tested for all patients.

Renal biopsy with histopathologically study of kidney under light microscopy was performed for some patients.

Results : ACA were detected in ten scleroderma patients (45.5 %) while were negative in controls.

Nine patients (40.9 %) had decrease in GFR (i.e.

< 70ml / min).

All patients were females and had normal serum cretonne, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and no proteinuria.

They were normotensive and had negative history of acute renal crisis.

There was negative significant correlation between ACA and either GFR and pulmonary function tests.

Renal biopsy showed abnormalities in 3 / 10 patients with diffuse cutaneous subtype.

Those patients had higher level of ACA and lower GFR.

Conclusion : serum cretonne is a poor marker of renal function in scleroderma patients.

ACA and calculated GFR may help in early detection of subclinical renal involvement.