Antinuclear antibodies to RNA-binding proteins in SLE.

The presence of autoantibodies is a prominent feature of connective tissue disease (CTD). At first glance there is a wide range of antibody specificities, but in the individual patient the autoantibody profile is much more restricted. Thus, certain antinuclear antibodies are not only strongly associated with disease expression, but also identify distinctive serological subsets within the spectrum of CTD. In turn, these subsets are associated with particular patterns of disease expression. With increasing knowledge of the molecular nature of the autoantigen targets, the relationship between fine specificity of the antibody response and disease manifestations is being further defined.