Anti-Ku antibodies in connective tissue diseases. Report of three cases

J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989 Aug;21(2 Pt 2):433-5. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(89)80053-2.

Abstract

Three patients are described with clinical features of connective tissue diseases, namely, dermatomyositis, progressive systemic scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus. In two patients the symptoms of disease overlapped. The rare anti-Ku antibody was found in all of them. Anti-Ku antibody characterizes those patients, with polymyositis-scleroderma overlap syndromes who have a good prognosis. One of our patients, who also had severe anti-Sm-positive systemic lupus erythematosus, seems to be an exception.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / analysis*
  • Antigen-Antibody Reactions
  • Antigens, Nuclear*
  • Antigens, Surface / analysis
  • Antigens, Surface / immunology*
  • Connective Tissue Diseases / immunology*
  • DNA Helicases*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / analysis
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / immunology*
  • Dermatomyositis / immunology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ku Autoantigen
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / immunology
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Scleroderma, Systemic / immunology
  • Syndrome

Substances

  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
  • Antigens, Nuclear
  • Antigens, Surface
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DNA Helicases
  • XRCC5 protein, human
  • Xrcc6 protein, human
  • Ku Autoantigen