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Anti-nucleosome antibodies as prediction factor of development of autoantibodies during therapy with three different TNFα blocking agents in rheumatoid arthritis

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Abstract

Anti-nucleosome antibodies have a role in the diagnosis and follow-up of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and have a possible correlation with SLE activity and with kidney and hematological involvement. The aim of our study was to detect in 91 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the positivity of anti-nucleosome antibodies during therapy with three different TNFα blocking agents and to underline the possible correlation with the development of antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) and anti-dsDNA autoantibodies. We detected anti-nucleosome antibodies, ANA, and anti-dsDNA during therapy with three different TNFα blocking agents at T-0 and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment, respectively. Anti-nucleosome antibodies (IgG class) were analyzed by ELISA technique (Orgentec Diagnostika GmbH, Mainz, Germany), ANA both by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique on Hep-2 (Scimedx, USA) and by ELISA (Autoimmune EIA ANA screening test Bio-Rad Laboratories, CA, USA), and anti-dsDNA (IgG and IgM classes) by ELISA (Kallestad, Bio-Rad Laboratories, CA, USA) and confirmed by IIF on Crithidia luciliae (ImmunoConcepts N.A., Sacramento, CA, USA). We observed 19 patients on infliximab treatment at 3 mg/kg every 8 weeks, 43 patients on etanercept treatment at 25 mg twice a week, and 29 patients on adalimumab treatment at 40 mg every other week. At baseline, we observed positivity as follow: in the group of patients treated with infliximab—anti-nucleosome 1/19 (5.26%), ANA 3/19 (15.7%), anti-dsDNA 1/19 (5.26%); in the group treated with etanercept—anti-nucleosome 2/43 (4.65%), ANA 1/43 (2.43%), anti-dsDNA 0/43; and in the group treated with adalimumab—anti-nucleosome 2/29 (6.89%), ANA 1/29 (3.44%), anti-dsDNA 0/29. The results at 12 weeks for the three autoantibodies were: for infliximab—3/19 (15.7%), 10/19 (52.6%), 2/19 (10.5%); for etanercept—3/43 (6.9%), 10/43 (23.2%), 1/43 (2.32%); and for adalimumab—3/29 (10.3%), 4/29 (13.7%), 1/29 (3.4%). At 24 weeks, the results were for infliximab 6/19 (31.5%), 12/19 (63.1%), 2/19 (10.5%); for etanercept 11/43 (25.5%), 22/43 (51.1%), 2/43 (4.65%); and for adalimumab 4/29 (13.7%), 13/29 (44.8%), 1/29 (3.4%). We observed a concordance anti-nucleosome/ANA antibodies of 85.5% (p < 0.001). Our data showed a concordance between anti-nucleosome antibodies and ANA positivity in patients with RA during therapy with TNFα blocking agents. The induction of autoantibodies positivity is different for each TNFα blocking agent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Unit, Nuovo Ospedale S. Giovanni di Dio, ASL 10, via di Torregalli 3, Florence, Italy

    Maurizio Benucci

  2. Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS S. Maugeri, Mantua, Italy

    Gianantonio Saviola

  3. Biological and Pharmacological Evaluation IRCCS S. Maugeri, University of Pavia, Mantua, Italy

    Paola Baiardi

  4. University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Paola Baiardi

  5. Immunology and Allergology Laboratory Unit, Nuovo Ospedale S. Giovanni di Dio, ASL 10, via di Torregalli 3, Florence, Italy

    Emanuela Cammelli & Mariangela Manfredi

Authors
  1. Maurizio Benucci
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  2. Gianantonio Saviola
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  3. Paola Baiardi
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  4. Emanuela Cammelli
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  5. Mariangela Manfredi
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Correspondence to Maurizio Benucci.

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Benucci, M., Saviola, G., Baiardi, P. et al. Anti-nucleosome antibodies as prediction factor of development of autoantibodies during therapy with three different TNFα blocking agents in rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 27, 91–95 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-007-0728-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-007-0728-5

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