To address whether or not the rarity of amyloidosis in Greek patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is related to specific alleles of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5'-flanking region and the exon 3 of the SSA1 gene.
Specific antibodies against two proteins, tripartite motif-containing 21 (TRIM21, also known as SSA/Ro52) and F-box only protein 2 (FBXO2), were visualized in the cytoplasm of plasmacytes in two RA synovitis lesions, respectively.
To answer the question regarding the existence of additional markers of DP toxicity (other than Ro(SSA) antibodies) in RA patients, we found that in addition to Ro(SSA) antibodies, circulating cryoglobulins were associated with DP side effects.
All peptides were tested by the optimized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against 119 sera from patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis with anti-Ro/SSA reactivity, 20 sera from patients with systemic diseases without anti-Ro/SSA immune reactivity, as well as against 65 sera from normal individuals.