Anti-IFI16 Antibodies in Scleroderma Are Associated with Digital Gangrene

Zsuzsanna McMahan¹, Ami A. Shah², Dhananjay Vaidya³, Fredrick M. Wigley⁴, Antony Rosen⁵ and Livia Casciola-Rosen⁶, ¹Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, ²Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, ³Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, ⁴Rheum Div/Mason F Lord, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, ⁵Mason Lord Bldg Ctr Tower, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, ⁶Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Meeting: 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 29, 2015

Keywords: Antibodies, complications, diagnosis and scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon

Session Information

Date: Sunday, November 8, 2015

Title: Systemic Sclerosis, Fibrosing Syndromes and Raynaud's - Clinical Aspects and Therapeutics Poster I

Session Type: ACR Poster Session A

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: Our aim was to examine and confirm the association between anti-IFI16 antibodies and clinical features of scleroderma.

Methods: Sera from a discovery sample of 94 scleroderma patients and 47 healthy controls were assayed for anti-IFI16 antibodies by ELISA, and associations were examined using regression analyses. As anti-IFI16 autoantibodies strongly associated with digital gangrene in the discovery sample, a subsequent 1:1 disease-duration matched case-control study was designed to further explore this association. Cases were patients with scleroderma and digital gangrene, while controls were patients with scleroderma and Raynaud’s alone (n=52 pairs). Nonparametric unadjusted matched-pair analyses, univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression were performed.

Results: Anti-IFI16 antibodies in the discovery sample were more prevalent in scleroderma than in healthy controls (18% vs. 2%; p=0.01). Patients with anti-IFI16 antibodies were more likely to have limited scleroderma (77% vs. 46%; p=0.03), longer disease duration (15.2 [10.6-18.3] vs. 6.0 [3.4-13.8] years; p <0.01), digital gangrene (24% vs. 4%; p=0.02), and a low DLCO (p <0.01). In the matched case-control study, 38/104 (37%) were anti-IFI16 positive. Anti-IFI16 antibody levels were found to be significantly higher in cases than matched controls (p=0.02). Adjusted for age, cutaneous subtype, smoking, and DLCO, high anti-IFI16 antibody levels associated significantly with digital gangrene case status (adjusted OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.0, 5.4).

Conclusion: Anti-IFI16 antibodies are associated with digital gangrene in scleroderma. Longitudinal prospective studies exploring the role of anti-IFI16 antibodies as a scleroderma disease biomarker, and biological studies investigating the pathogenicity of these antibodies, are warranted.

Disclosure: Z. McMahan, None; A. A. Shah, None; D. Vaidya, Consumable Science, Inc, 5; F. M. Wigley, None; A. Rosen, None; L. Casciola-Rosen, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

McMahan Z, Shah AA, Vaidya D, Wigley FM, Rosen A, Casciola-Rosen L. Anti-IFI16 Antibodies in Scleroderma Are Associated with Digital Gangrene [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/anti-ifi16-antibodies-in-scleroderma-are-associated-with-digital-gangrene/. Accessed .

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