The Clinical Aspects of Autoantibodies

Serum autoantibodies are convenient biomarkers in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Autoantibodies found in sera from SSc patients can be divided into SSc-specific and SSc-related autoantibodies based on their specificity to SSc. SSc-specific autoantibodies are used as diagnostic biomarkers in routine clinical practice owing to their high specificity, mutual exclusivity, and persistence for the duration of illness. SSc-related autoantibodies are detected not only in patients with SSc but also in those with other connective tissue diseases. A number of studies have shown that both SSc-specific and SSc-related autoantibodies are correlated with unique disease manifestations and, thus, are useful in disease subgrouping and prediction of future organ involvement and prognosis. In conclusion, circulating autoantibodies are attractive biomarkers for clinical practice and further elucidation of their role in SSc pathogenesis will increase our understanding of SSc and its clinical heterogeneity.