Anti-nucleosome antibodies - a Valuable test in systemic : lupus erythematosus

Abstract EN

Background : nucleosomes are fundamental units of chromatin released by inter nucleosome cleavage during cell apoptosis, and nucleosome material has been demonstrated in the surface blebs of apoptotic cells.

Recent studies have shown the presence of a nucleosome antibodies in systemic lupus erythematous (SLE).

Patients & Methods : we included 40 consecutive patients (36 female & 4 male) with SLE (four or more ACR criteria).

As control groups we included 40 healthy blood donors and 48 patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs).

Disease activity was assessed using the Systemic Lupus Erythematous Disease Activity Received Dec.

2010 Index (SLEDAI).

A venous blood sample was drawn to measure anti-nucleosome (anti-NCS), anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-ds DNA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results : when SLE and SADs patients were compared the sensitivity of anti-NCS, anti-ds DNA antibodies for SLE diagnosis was 90 %, and 75 % respectively and the specificity was 83.3 %, and 85.4 %o.

Anti-NCS antibodies were not useful in differentiating between SLE and scleroderma patients.

Anti-NCS antibodies showed the highest correlation with disease activity (r = 0.58, P < 0.001).

Anti-NCS antibodies also showed strong association with renal damage (P = 0.024).

Conclusion : anti-NCS antibodies could be a useful tool in the diagnosis and assessment of disease activity in SLE patients, especially in patients who are negative for anti-ds DNA antibodies.