Comparison of Radioimmunoprecipitation Versus Antigen-specific Assays for Identification of Myositis-specific Autoantibodies in Dermatomyositis Patients

Background: To confirm the antigen specificities of autoantibodies that precipitate 140-kDa (anti-p140) or 155/140-kDa polypeptides (anti-p155/140) previously identified by radioimmunoprecipitation in Korean patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and to look into the relationship between each MSA and clinical features of DM.

Methods: Seventeen serum samples of classic DM patients who had been found to have either anti-p140 antibodies (n = 9) or anti-p155/140 (n = 8) antibodies in our previous study were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (for anti-MDA5 antibodies) and immunoblotting (for anti-MJ/NXP-2 and anti-TIF-1γ antibodies).

Results: Seven out of nine anti-p140 antibody positive patients were found to have anti-MDA5 antibodies. Two out of nine had anti-MJ/NXP-2 antibodies with no interstitial lung disease (ILD). All eight anti-p155/140 antibody positive patients were found to have anti-TIF-1γ antibodies. Anti-TIF-1γ and anti-MDA5 antibodies were simultaneously detected in one patient with anti-p155/140 antibody, who suffered HIV infection and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The associations between anti-MDA5 antibody and rapidly progressive ILD and between anti-TIF-1γ antibody and cancer-associated DM were confirmed to be significant.

Conclusions: Although radioimmunoprecipitation still looks to be a good screening tool, confirmation with antigen-specific assays seems mandatory. The associations between anti-MDA5 and rapidly progressive ILD and between anti-TIF-1γ and cancer-associated DM were confirmed in Korean patients with DM.