[Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with the autoantibody pattern].

In order to evaluate the autoantibody pattern of subjects affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with clinical features of keratoconjunctivitis, we studied 32 out- and in-patients (26 women, 6 men, average age 52 years, average disease duration 5.5 years) at the Division of Rheumatology, Catholic University of Rome. We found keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia in 22 (68.75%) patients with RA. Rheumatoid factor was present in 17 (53.1%) patients, antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were observed in 15 (48.4%) patients, and anti-rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigens (RANA) in 22 (68.7%) patients; anti-SSA antibodies were confirmed in 3 (9.4%) patients and anti-SSB antibodies in 2 (6.2%) patients. None of the patients evidenced anti-U1RNP. Although keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia correlated significantly with the presence of rheumatoid factor, we found no relationship between these two conditions and ANA or anti-RANA antibodies. The high frequency of keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia in our RA patients is the expression of extra-articular involvement in this disease and is correlated with the presence of rheumatoid factor. ANA and anti-RANA antibodies may represent aspecific polyclonal activation in RA.