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The clinical impact of Anti-DFS70 antibodies in undifferentiated connective tissue disease: case reports and a review of the literature

  • Therapeutic Aspects in Autoimmunity
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Abstract

Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity suggests CTD but can also lead to a diagnosis of UCTD when a patient does not fulfill the CTD diagnostic criteria. An anti-dense fine speckled (DFS) immunofluorescence (IIF) pattern can be observed when using an ANA test on HEp-2 cells and is due to the presence of antibodies to the nuclear DFS70 antigen that has rarely found in CTD. Serological testing for anti-DFS70 antibodies could therefore play a very interesting negative predictive role in stratifying patients on the basis of the evolution of UCTD to CTD. We described two patients ANA and anti-DFS70 positive in which the use of new method allowing the immunoadsorption of anti-DFS70 antibodies has permitted to exclude the incorrect diagnosis of CTD.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Laboratory of Immunology and Allergology, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy

      M. Infantino, F. Meacci, V. Grossi & M. Manfredi

    2. Rheumatology Unit, S. Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy

      F. Li Gobbi & M. Benucci

    3. Rheumatology Unit, L. Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy

      P. Sarzi-Puttini

    4. IRCCS Orthopedic Institute of Galeazzi, Milan, Italy

      F. Atzeni

    Authors
    1. M. Infantino
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    2. F. Meacci
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    3. V. Grossi
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    4. M. Manfredi
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    5. F. Li Gobbi
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    6. P. Sarzi-Puttini
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    7. F. Atzeni
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    8. M. Benucci
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to M. Infantino.

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    M. Benucci and F. Atzeni equally contributed to the article.

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    Infantino, M., Meacci, F., Grossi, V. et al. The clinical impact of Anti-DFS70 antibodies in undifferentiated connective tissue disease: case reports and a review of the literature. Immunol Res 65, 293–295 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-016-8836-4

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-016-8836-4

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