Meningococcal pericarditis without meningitis.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C T Pease.
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We examined the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of antibodies to Ro (SS-A) and La (SS-B) in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) by counterimmunoelectrophoresis and immunodiffusion. Anti-Ro was found in 56% and anti-La in 42% of patients with SS and in 38% and 6% respectively in SLE. Anti-La was rare (less than 1%) in other connective tissue diseases. As a more stringent test of diagnostic specificity, 88 patients whose sera contained anti-La and/or anti-Ro were carefully examined for evidence of Sjögren's syndrome. Of 35 patients whose sera contained anti-La, 29 (83%) fulfilled criteria for SS, and four out of 6 of the remainder showed some evidence of early disease. Of 53 patients with anti-Ro (without anti-La), only 42% had Sjögren's syndrome, 45% had SLE and 13% other connective tissue diseases. These data confirm that anti-La, but not anti-Ro, has a high diagnostic specificity for Sjögren's syndrome and merits inclusion as separate diagnostic criterion for the disease.
The clinical and laboratory features of 89 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) have been reviewed. Forty-eight of the patients had primary SS, of whom 27 had antibodies to Ro and/or La. The anti-Ro/La antibody positive patients showed a higher frequency of systemic clinical features, as well as high IgG levels and rheumatoid factors compared to those without the antibodies. Patients with SS-SLE developed symptoms of SS at the same age as those with primary SS but facial rashes, photosensitivity, and serositis were more common. Otherwise the clinical and laboratory features were indistinguishable from primary SS with anti-Ro/La. The frequency of HLA DR3 and HLA DRW 52 in European Caucasians with primary SS was 67% and 82% (92% in those with anti-Ro/La) respectively. DRW 53 occurred in 94% of all patients with SS-RA.