Anti-alpha-fodrin autoantibody is an early diagnostic marker for childhood primary Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

alpha-fodrin is a recently identified autoantigen associated with adult primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We tested whether anti-alpha-fodrin antibody could also be used as a diagnostic marker for childhood SS.

METHODS

We performed immunoblot analysis of sera from 7 patients with childhood primary SS using glutathione-S-transferase alpha-fodrin fusion protein as an antigen.

RESULTS

Anti-alpha-fodrin antibody was detected in sera from all 7 patients with childhood primary SS, 2 of 4 with secondary SS, and one of 7 with systemic lupus erythematosus, but in no other healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

The anti-alpha-fodrin autoantibody was detected before anti-SSA or SSB antibody became positive; thus anti-alpha-fodrin antibody could be a useful marker for the early diagnosis of SS.