ANTI-SSB IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: RELATION TO DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS, ACTIVITY AND ORGAN DAMAGE

Abstract

The present study was conducted on 50 SLE patients and 40 healthy control. The SLE was diagnosed according to the 1997 revised criteria of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) for the diagnosis of SLE (Hochberg et al., 1997). The anti-SSB was measured by ELISA in both groups. There was statistically significant correlation between the anti-SSB antibody and each of the following clinical manifestations: alopecia, Raynaud's phenomenon and serositis which were associated with anti-SSB positivity ( p-value <0.05). While, both the leucopenia and neutropenia were directly correlated with the anti-SSB antibody-positivity( p=0.046 and 0.003 respectively). There were no statistically significant difference between anti-SSB positivity and each of the following: Hb %, platelet count, ESR, C3, C4, BUN, S.creatnine,C-reactive protein and 24 hr.urinary proteins (P-value ≥0.05). The sensitivity of SSB- antibodies was 26 % while, the specificity for diagnosis of SLE was 100%, the negative predictive value was 44.78% with accuracy of 53.75% and p-value <0.001. Clinician should maintain a high level of suspicion and close monitoring of SLE patients especially with high disease activity, leucopenia, positive antibodies for (ANA), anti-dsDNA and anti-SSB.