Autoantibody profile, disease activity and organ involvement in Iranian systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Autoantibodies have been implicated with increased risk of organ involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the present study, we looked for autoantibody profiles and their association with clinical symptoms in a group of Iranian patients with SLE. In this study, 98 lupus patients (78 females and 20 males) were evaluated for the presence of autoantibodies against nRNP/Sm, Sm, SSA, Ro52, SSB, Scl-70, Jo-1, CENP B, nucleosomes, histones and Rib-P protein using immunoblotting technique. Anti-dsDNA was the most prevalent autoantibody (69.1%). The increased amount of autoantibodies, of the affected organs, and presence of anti-histone and anti-dsDNA correlated with disease activity. In the SLE patients with renal involvement, presence of anti-nucleosome (54.8% vs. 39.4%, P= 0.04) and decreased levels of anti-SSB (14.3% vs. 26.3%, P= 0.007) were significantly different campared with patients without renal involvement. Our results showed that elevated levels of autoantibodies including anti-dsDNA and anti-histone, and increasing number of involved organs, could be used as predictors for assessment of disease activity in patients with lupus. In addition, the increased levels of anti-nucleosome and the lower occurrence of anti-SSB could be used in the verification of renal damage.