Anticytoskeletal antibodies in systemic autoimmune diseases

Aim To investiate the presence of antinuclear and anticytoskeletal autoantibodies in patients with systemic autoimmune and connective tissue diseases. Setting 646 sera of 322 patients with systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus eryhtematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis with or without secondary Sjögren's syndrome, and localized scleroderma, and 127 healthy controls were tested. Methods ‘Routine’ indirect immunofluorescence technique on HEp-2 cells. Results Antinuclear antibodies were found in 45–91.1% of the sera. Anti-intermediate filament antibodies were detected in 24 patients. Eight of the 24 cases had another (second) organ-specific autoimmune disease, mainly chronic active hepatitis or autoimmune thyroid disease.