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EPIDERMAL NUCLEAR IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE
Author(s) -
Kent Lawrence T.,
Hu ChungHong,
Michel Beno,
Tan Eng M.,
Moskowitz Roland W.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.1984.tb01453.x
Subject(s) - anti nuclear antibody , mixed connective tissue disease , immunofluorescence , connective tissue , pathology , medicine , connective tissue disease , scleroderma (fungus) , rheumatoid arthritis , serology , autoantibody , antibody , extractable nuclear antigens , disease , immunology , autoimmune disease , inoculation
In sixteen patients, the relationship of epidermal nuclear immunofluorescence to the spectrum of connective tissue diseases and to serum antibodies was investigated. The clinical diagnoses were mixed connective tissue disease (7 patients), systemic lupus erythematosus (5 patients), scleroderma (3 patients) and rheumatoid arthritis (1 patient). Detailed serologic evaluation in 13 of the 16 patients revealed positive rheumatoid factor (7 patients), antinuclear antibody (13 patients), anti‐DNA (2 patients), anti‐n‐RNP (11 patients), anti‐Sm (2 patients), anti‐SS‐A (3 patients) and anti‐RANA (5 patients). Anti‐SS‐B and anti‐Scl‐70 were absent in all. Epidermal nuclear immunofluorescence on skin biopsy correlated with serum anti‐n‐RNP and is a useful marker for mixed connective tissue disease. However, it did not appear to serve as a specific marker for any one connective tissue disease. We discuss the mechanism(s) for this immunofluorescent pattern and believe it is an in vivo phenomenon.