“ANA’s are some of most commonly ordered tests but what exactly are they and what do you do with a positive ANA? Check out the Editor’s Pick for October to learn more,” says Physician Editor Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, FAAAAI, RhMSUS.
Pondering the Pandemic: Autoantibodies in COVID-19
NEW ORLEANS—The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the interplay of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the immune systems of infected patients. Acute autoimmune manifestations of COVID-19, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and myocarditis, clearly exist. A session at the 2023 Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium, Autoantibodies in COVID-19 explored this topic in detail, including a…
Rare Disease Sheds Light on the Origins of Lupus
Patients with the rare DNASE1L3 biallelic null mutation present with childhood-onset disease that resembles lupus. This observation prompted research into how abnormalities in the enzyme DNASE1L3 are associated with lupus, with researchers finding autoantibody-mediated impairment of DNASE1L3 activity may be a common non-genetic mechanism leads to anti-dsDNA autoreactivity in SLE.
Autoantibodies Against LINE-1 p40 May Be More Common in Patients with Active SLE
Researchers found nearly all systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have autoantibodies against long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE-1) p40. These findings suggest LINE-1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.
1 Step Closer: Study Examines Factors That Lead to RA in Hope of Developing Prevention Strategies
Research has found blood tests detect elevations of autoantibody isotypes in patients years before they are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to Kevin Deane, MD, PhD, identifying patients during this pre-RA period may be key to preventing or delaying the onset of RA.
Myositis Autoantibodies as Biomarkers
A recent study details the autoantibodies of patients with myositis, confirming most patients carry these antibodies. The results also describe how myositis-specific autoantibodies can be used to identify distinct clinical subsets of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy…
Autoantibodies in Autoimmune Myopathy
In recent years, scientists and clinicians have learned a great deal about autoantibodies occurring in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). These new discoveries have reshaped our understanding of distinct clinical phenotypes in IIMs. Scientists continue to learn more about how these autoantibodies shape pathophysiology, diagnosis, disease monitoring, prognosis and optimum treatment. Moving forward, these autoantibodies will…
Anti-CarP May Play Special Role in RA-Associated Mortality
Researchers may have established a relationship between a new RA autoantibody, anti-carbamylated protein (anti-CarP) antibodies, and increased mortality risk. The recent study showed that anti-CarP was the only autoantibody associated with mortality, specifically respiratory system cause of death…
Novel Astrocytic Autoantibody Associated with Relapsing Meningoencephalomyelitis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—An autoantibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is associated with relapsing autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis that is responsive to immunotherapy, researchers report. “Autoimmune GFAP meningoencephalomyelitis is the second autoimmune neurological disease in which the target of the immune attack is recognized to be the astrocyte type of brain cell,” Dr. Vanda A. Lennon…
Naive B Cells Activate & Expand During Lupus Flares
New research published in May indicates a possible connection between B cells and the occurrence of systemic lupus erythematosus symptoms.