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. 2023 Sep;26(9):1667-1675.
doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.14789. Epub 2023 Jun 20.

The significance of dense fine speckled pattern in antinuclear antibody-associated rheumatic disease and coexisting autoantibodies: A propensity score-matched cohort study

Chiao-Feng Cheng  1 , Ting-Yuan Lan  2 , Jui-Hung Kao  3 , Cheng-Hsun Lu  1 , Yu-Cheng Chang  4 , Yi-Min Huang  5 , Feng-Jung Yang  3 , Jen-Hao Chen  5 , Yen-Chun Lin  3   6 , Chieh-An Chuang  3 , Chih-Hui Chang  7 , Ko-Jen Li  1 , Chieh-Yu Shen  1 , Song-Chou Hsieh  1
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The significance of dense fine speckled pattern in antinuclear antibody-associated rheumatic disease and coexisting autoantibodies: A propensity score-matched cohort study

Chiao-Feng Cheng et al. Int J Rheum Dis. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the relationship between the prevalence of antinuclear antibody (ANA) -associated rheumatic diseases (AARD) and the presence of dense fine speckled (DFS) and homogeneous patterns in ANA tests.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled adult patients with either a DFS or homogeneous pattern in their ANA test. A mixed pattern was defined as the presence of more than one pattern reported in the test. The presence of anti-DFS70 antibodies and other common autoantibodies were detected using EUROLINE ANA Profile 23. A 1:2 propensity score matching was applied to control for demographic and other interfering factors.

Results: A total of 59 patients with a DFS pattern were enrolled and compared with a matched homogeneous group. The DFS group had a significantly lower prevalence of AARD (3.4% vs. 16.9%, p = .008) and the subgroup with anti-DFS70 antibodies showed an even lower prevalence (2% vs. 20%, p = .002). Among the 33 patients with monospecific anti-DFS70 antibodies, five had a mixed pattern, and all patients with common autoantibodies had an isolated DFS pattern.

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that patients with a DFS pattern in their ANA test may have a lower prevalence of AARD compared with those with a homogeneous pattern. However, an isolated DFS pattern in ANA testing does not necessarily indicate the presence of monospecific anti-DFS70 antibodies or AARD. Confirmatory testing for the monospecific anti-DFS70 antibody is mandatory to exclude AARD.

Keywords: ANA-associated rheumatic disease; anti-DFS70 antibody; anti-nuclear antibody; dense fine speckled; diagnosis.

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