Anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies

See also: Congenital heart block
Immunofluorescence pattern of SS-A and SS-B antibodies. Produced using serum from a patient on HEp-20-10 cells with a FITC conjugate.

Anti-SSA autoantibodies (anti–Sjögren's-syndrome-related antigen A autoantibodies, also called anti-Ro, or similar names including anti-SSA/Ro, anti-Ro/SSA, anti–SS-A/Ro, and anti-Ro/SS-A) are a type of anti-nuclear autoantibodies that are associated with many autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), SS/SLE overlap syndrome, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), neonatal lupus and primary biliary cirrhosis.[1] They are often present in Sjögren's syndrome (SS).[1][2] Additionally, Anti-Ro/SSA can be found in other autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), and are also associated with heart arrhythmia.[3][4]

Anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies are classified as extractable nuclear antigens. The Anti-SSA/Ro autoantibody targets Ro proteins, namely Ro52 and Ro60. Ro52 and Ro60 were originally thought to be one protein, however current findings show that they are two functionally distinct proteins encoded by genes on separate chromosomes.[3] Anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies are used in clinical settings as a diagnostic tool to identify patients with SLE and Sjögren's syndrome. In clinical tests for autoimmune disease, Anti-Ro antibodies are some of the most consistently and frequently detected among autoantibodies.[3]

Anti-Ro autoantibodies are often found in conjunction with a similar antibody, Anti-La/SSB (also called anti–SS-B or anti–SS-B/La), in patients with SS. These two antibodies share pathological characteristics.[4]

  1. ^ a b Franceschini, F.; Cavazzana, I. (2005). "Anti-Ro/SSA and La/SSB antibodies". Autoimmunity. 38 (1): 55–63. doi:10.1080/08916930400022954. PMID 15804706. S2CID 24327937.
  2. ^ V Goëb; et al. (2007). "Clinical significance of autoantibodies recognizing Sjögren's syndrome A (SSA), SSB, calpastatin and alpha-fodrin in primary Sjögren's syndrome". Clin. Exp. Immunol. 148 (2): 281–7. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2249.2007.03337.x. PMC 1868868. PMID 17286756.
  3. ^ a b c Yoshimi, Ryusuke; Ueda, Atsuhisa; Ozato, Keiko; Ishigatsubo, Yoshiaki (2012). "Clinical and Pathological Roles of Ro/SSA Autoantibody System". Clinical and Developmental Immunology. 2012: 606195. doi:10.1155/2012/606195. ISSN 1740-2522. PMC 3523155. PMID 23304190.
  4. ^ a b Gleicher, Norbert; Elkayam, Uri (September 2013). "Preventing congenital neonatal heart block in offspring of mothers with anti-SSA/Ro and SSB/La antibodies: a review of published literature and registered clinical trials". Autoimmunity Reviews. 12 (11): 1039–1045. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2013.04.006. ISSN 1873-0183. PMID 23684701.