PROGNOSTIC INDICATORS IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES.
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We have focused lately on some of the indicators of Autoimmune diseases,  and one may be surprised at this focus but keep in mind there no smoke without a fire.  There is no antibody without a gene abnormality.  And some if not all autoimmune diseases lead to lymphoproliferative disorders.  So it is pertinent to start looking into these factors with a critical look.
Factors in Autoimmune diseases are grouped generally in Diagnostic (leading to specific diagnosis), Acute phase (denoting active disease), chronic (denoting persistent disease), prognosis (inferring persistent destruction of tissue).  Remember Auto-immune diseases target Skin, Lung, Liver, the Heart, Central and peripheral Nervous system, the circulatory system (Vasculitis), the joints, kidney and Muscle skeletal systems or in few words "all the systems".  That is why we call these disease "SYSTEMIC DISEASES".

FIRST THE LIST OF PROGNOSIS FACTORS,
AND COMMENTS WILL FOLLOW!

1.  High level or titer of Rheumatoid Factor
2. Persistent Anti-DNA
3. Presence of Anti-Ribosomal Antibody in lupus- CNS involvement.
4. Anti-CL70 --"Diffuse" Scleroderma
5. Anti-centromere Antibody -CREST, there is suggestion of good prognosis! (unless the kidney, heart and lung fibrosis come into play to change that!)
6. Anti-Jo ---lung involvement
7. Anti-Smith and anti-RNP associated with hign Interferon-1 and diruption of immunity-high rate of infection
8.Anti-phospholipid AB (Cardiolipin) -Thrombosis/including strokes, watch Antibody to Beta 2 -glycoprotein-1 (does the same!)
9.-Anti-M2-directed against nuclear Helicase (Polymyositis)
10- Anti-Synthetase
11. anti-signal recognition
12. Anti-topoisomerase (worse prognosis, poor response to Corticosteroids, )
13. Anti -anti RNA Polymerase III---scleroderma involving the Kidney
14. In Sjogren the change of rheumatoid factor from positive to negative when following polyclonal to oligoclonal cells announces lymphoproliferative transformation-act quick here!

Think of these
Next Acute phase factors.......