Indirect immunofluorescence screening of potential arthritic autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction: Joint involvement is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, however, screening for joint specific autoantibodies in patients is not routinely performed. This may be due to the lack of known antigens and available tissue. The rat musculoskeletal tissue may be a suitable source of antigen to detect arthritic autoantibodies. Method: We tested plasma of SLE patients, with arthritis (N=9) and without arthritis (N=7) as...