Autoantibodies in Raynaud’s Phenomenon

The identification of autoantibodies associated with Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) provides intriguing insight into the relationship between autoimmunity and vascular function. RP is frequently the presenting symptom of autoimmune rheumatic disease, e.g. in systemic sclerosis (SSc). As such, autoantibodies can help identify RP patients who are at risk of progression to systemic disease and prompt appropriate monitoring. As well as being serological biomarkers, autoantibodies may directly contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular dysfunction. In this chapter, we shall discuss the various methods of autoantibody detection, their diagnostic and prognostic importance, and the potential contribution of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of RP.