Prevalence and Clinical Associations of the Anti Ribosomal P Protein Antibodies in SLE Patients

Lee, Sung Won; Chung, Won Tae

Abstract

To determine the frequencies and clinical associations of anti-ribosomal P antibodies (anti-P) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sera from 99 patients with SLE were analyzed for anti-P using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and clinical symptoms, signs and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) in all patients were evaluated by retrospective clinical chart review.
RESULTS
The frequency of anti-P was 24 of 99 SLE patients (24.2%). Of these patients, three patients were male (12.5%) and 21 patients were female (87.5%). The correlation coefficient between anti-P and anti-ds-DNA antibody (anti-ds-DNA) was 0.205 (p=0.042) and between C3 and anti-P was -0.235 (p=0.024). Of 24 patients with anti-P, none had lupus psychosis. The other clinical features of the patients examined in relation to anti-P status were nephritis, hematologic abnormalities, arthritis, skin lesions, CNS lesions, acute myoacardial infarction, and autoimmune hepatitis but there was no significant association with anti-P. Some patients with anti-P had concomitant ENA, 7 had anti-Ro antibody (anti-Ro), 2 had anti-La antibody (anti-La) and 10 had anti-RNP antibody (anti-RNP) that was the most frequently observed ENA, but there was no significant association between anti-P and ENA. ANA types in patients with anti-P were cytoplasmic pattern in three patients, homogenous in two, peripheral in three, and speckled type in 14 patients. The most frequent ANA type in SLE patients with anti-P was speckled type but statistically significant difference could not shown.
CONCLUSION
The frequency of anti-ribosomal P antibody was 24.2%. Anti-ds-DNA had weak positive correlation (p=0.042) and C3 had weak negative correlation (p=0.024) with anti-P. In contrast to the findings of some previous studies, an increased frequency of lupus psychosis, nephritis, and hepatitis was not observed and there was no significant correlation between lupus psychosis, nephritis, hepatitis, SLEDAI and anti-P in this study.