Antibodies to cellular antigens in Greek patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases: anti-Ro(SSA) antibody a possible marker of penicillamine-D intolerance.

One hundred and twenty-four sera from Greek patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (29 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 24 with scleroderma, 11 with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and 60 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were tested for antibodies to nRNP, Sm, Scl-70, Ro(SSA), and La(SSB) cellular antigens. The incidence of these antibodies in the different groups of patients examined, did not differ overall from that described previously. It was noted, however, that antibodies to Sm were very infrequently found in Greek patients with SLE and anti-Ro positive patients with SLE did not have the clinical manifestations described by other workers. Finally, it was found that anti-Ro positive patients with RA experienced a high frequency of side effects from penicillamine-D. The significance of these findings is discussed.