Autoimmune controls were patients referred for serologies positive for ANA but did not fulfill criteria for diagnosis of SLE at the initial visit, or were diagnosed with another autoimmune disease.
<b>Conclusion</b>: ANA positivity is an independent predictor of favorable prognosis in SSc-patients with cancer, possibly suggesting that humoral autoimmunity in SSc with cancer may have some benefit.
Autoantibodies to nuclear components of cells (antinuclear antibodies, ANA), including DNA (a-DNA), are widely used in the diagnosis and subtyping of certain autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Non-organ specific AAb (ANA, anti-Ro52, anti-Ro60, anti-La, anti-RNP) but not anti-thyroid peroxidase, anti-tissue transglutaminase or myositis-specific antibodies, were more frequent in s-IBM patients, and 14/51 (27%) had another autoimmune disease (Sjögren's syndrome, thyroiditis, psoriasis, vitiligo).