Background/Purpose:

Various autoantibodies have been reported in cancer patients, however, results are inconsistent. In dermatomyositis (DM), striking association between autoantibodies to p155/140 (transcription intermediary factor (TIF) 1gamma/alpha) and malignancy has been documented in several recent studies, however, whether this autoantibody specificity can also be found in malignancy without DM is not known. In the present study, anti-TIF1gamma/alpha and other specificities found in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) were examined in breast cancer patients.

Methods:  

152 unselected breast cancer patients were enrolled to the study. Clinical information was collected from medical record and serum autoantibodies were tested by immunoprecipitation (IP) of ³⁵S-methionine-labeled K562 cell extract and anti-Ro52 and -TIF1gamma ELISA. Immunofluorescence antinuclear antibodies (ANA) using HEp-2 slide were also tested.

Results:

By IP, anti-TIF1gamma/alpha was found in 2 cases and anti-PM-Scl was found in one case among myositis-specific autoantibodies. Interestingly, no other myositis-specific autoantibodies, scleroderma specific anti-topoisomerase I and –RNA polymerase III, or SLE-specific anti-Sm or ribosomal P antibodies were found. Among autoantibodies associated with SARD but not specific for particular diagnoses, anti-Su/Argonaute 2 (Ago 2) was found in 3% (4/152), anti-Ro60 in 4% (6/152) by IP and anti-Ro52 was positive in 6% (9/152) by ELISA. Anti-U1RNP or anti-Sm was not found, however, interestingly, rare autoantibodies specific for U5RNP were found in 2 cases. A case with anti-TIF1gamma/alpha also had anti-Ro60 and Su/Ago2 but all other cases had only one specific autoantibodies listed above. As a whole, 14.5% (22/152) of breast cancer patients had autoantibodies associated with SARD. Although autoantibody specificities that are generally common in SARD and occasionally found in healthy individuals, such as anti-Ro60, Ro52 and Su were the most common, 2 cases of anti-TIF1gamma/alpha and anti-U5RNP seems significant because other disease-specific autoantibodies were not detected. Among 152 breast cancer patients, 6 had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and one had ankylosing spondylitis but none had polymyositis/dermatomyositis, scleroderma or SLE. All specific autoantibodies detected were not associated with the presence of rheumatic diseases except one case of RA with anti-Ro52.

Conclusion:

Although the specificities that are generally common in SARD (anti-Ro60, Ro52 and Su) were most common, unique specificities such as anti-TIF1gamma/alpha and anti-U5RNP was found in sera from breast cancer patients.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/autoantibodies-associated-with-inflammatory-myopathy-and-other-systemic-autoimmune-rheumatic-diseases-in-sera-from-breast-cancer-patients/