The Relationship Between Anti-RO (SS-A) Precipitin Antibody Positive Sjögren’s Syndrome and Anti-RO (SS-A) Precipitin Antibody Positive Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

The relationship between Sjögren’s syndrome and various connective tissue diseases has intrigued clinicians for several decades. During the past decade, our extensive clinical laboratory studies of the anti-Ro (SS-A) and anti-La (SS-B) precipitin antibodies have suggested a close relationship between anti-Ro (SS-A) precipitin positive lupus erythematosus and anti-Ro (SS-A) precipitin positive Sjögren’s syndrome. These studies indicate that these two anti-Ro (SS-A) precipitin positive disorders are much more closely related immunopathologically than our current nosology would indicate. We postulate that high titered Ro (SS-A) antibody patients (as measured by gel double diffusion) and designated in this chapter as anti-Ro (SS-A) precipitin antibody positive Sjögren’s syndrome and anti-Ro (SS-A) precipitin antibody positive SLE patients may share similar, if not identical immunogenetic backgrounds, most likely in the D region of the major histocompatibility complex and that this similar immunogenetic background is probably responsible, at least in part, for the close relationship of these two entities.