Sanchez-Hernandez, Evelyn S.;
Ortiz-Hernandez, Greisha L.;
Ochoa, Pedro T.;
Reeves, Michael;
Bizzaro, Nicola;
Andrade, Luis E. C.;
Mahler, Michael;
Casiano, Carlos A.
The Nuclear Dense Fine Speckled (DFS) Immunofluorescence Pattern: Not All Roads Lead to DFS70/LEDGFp75
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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
The Nuclear Dense Fine Speckled (DFS) Immunofluorescence Pattern: Not All Roads Lead to DFS70/LEDGFp75
Contributor:
Sanchez-Hernandez, Evelyn S.;
Ortiz-Hernandez, Greisha L.;
Ochoa, Pedro T.;
Reeves, Michael;
Bizzaro, Nicola;
Andrade, Luis E. C.;
Mahler, Michael;
Casiano, Carlos A.
imprint:
MDPI AG, 2023
Published in:Diagnostics
Language:
English
DOI:
10.3390/diagnostics13020222
ISSN:
2075-4418
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
<jats:p>The monospecific dense fine speckled (DFS) immunofluorescence assay (IFA) pattern is considered a potential marker to aid in exclusion of antinuclear antibody (ANA)-associated rheumatic diseases (AARD). This pattern is typically produced by autoantibodies against transcription co-activator DFS70/LEDGFp75, which are frequently found in healthy individuals and patients with miscellaneous inflammatory conditions. In AARD patients, these antibodies usually co-exist with disease-associated ANAs. Previous studies reported the occurrence of monospecific autoantibodies that generate a DFS-like or pseudo-DFS IFA pattern but do not react with DFS70/LEDGFp75. We characterized this pattern using confocal microscopy and immunoblotting. The target antigen associated with this pattern partially co-localized with DFS70/LEDGFp75 and its interacting partners H3K36me2, an active chromatin marker, and MLL, a transcription factor, in HEp-2 cells, suggesting a role in transcription. Immunoblotting did not reveal a common protein band immunoreactive with antibodies producing the pseudo-DFS pattern, suggesting they may recognize diverse proteins or conformational epitopes. Given the subjectivity of the HEp-2 IFA test, the awareness of pseudo-DFS autoantibodies reinforces recommendations for confirmatory testing when reporting patient antibodies producing a putative DFS pattern in a clinical setting. Future studies should focus on defining the potential diagnostic utility of the pseudo-DFS pattern and its associated antigen(s).</jats:p>