Clinical Significance of Antinuclear Antibodies in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- Author:
Kyeong Hee KIM
1
;
Dae Young SEO
;
Jin Yeong HAN
;
Jeong Man KIM
;
Sung Won LEE
;
Won Tae CHUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea. labmed@damc.or.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Antinuclear antibody;
Rheumatoid arthritis;
Rheumatoid factor
- MeSH:
Antibodies, Antinuclear*;
Arthritis, Rheumatoid*;
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect;
Humans;
Medical Records;
Rheumatoid Factor;
Thyroid Diseases
- From:The Journal of the Korean Rheumatism Association
2001;8(3):180-186
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations between clinical and laboratory parameters and antinuclear antibodies (ANA)in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We determined functional status,disease duration,hemoglobin,platelet count,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,C-reactive protein,rheumatoid factor (RF),ANA,and antiperinuclear factor in 89 RA patients.ANAs were studied by indirect immunofluorescence using Hep-2 cells.The medical records of the patients were reviewed. RESULTS: ANAs were detected in 30.3%of RA patients and 66.6%of ANAs were below the titer of 1:80.Nine patients had ANAs above the titer of 1:160, five of them had additional diseases besides RA.The ANA positivity was correlated only with the presence of RF.Two of the 5 ANA-positive patients without RF had thyroid disease. CONCLUSIONS: Except for RF,no significant correlation was observed between clinical and laboratory parameters and ANA positivity,but ANA positivity appears to be associated with the general autoimmunity.It is needed to search other associated pathologic conditions for ANA positive RA patients without RF.
