To investigate the diagnostic value of autoantibodies against alpha-fodrin in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with neurological manifestations compared to SS patients without neurological manifestations, a control group, and patients with other neurological autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with neurological manifestations and multiple sclerosis (MS).
We evaluated alpha-fodrin autoantibodies in 31 patients with SS with neurological manifestations, 53 SS patients without neurological symptoms, 38 patients with SLE, 60 with MS, and 160 controls.
Twenty of the 31 SS patients with neurological manifestations (64.5%) had an increased concentration of IgA and/or IgG anti-alpha-fodrin. This was not statistically different from that of SS patients without neurological symptoms (73.6%), but was higher than the number with SSA/SSB antibodies, which were found in 15 (48%) of our SS patients without neurological manifestations. When the results of the 2 tests were combined, 28 of the 31 (90.3%) patients had positive autoantibodies (alpha-fodrin and/or SSA/SSB). Alpha-fodrin antibodies were increased in 8 (13.3%) of the 60 patients with MS, in 6 (15.7%) of 38 patients with SLE, and in 10 (6.3%) of 160 controls.
Our results confirm that alpha-fodrin antibodies are an additional diagnostic tool for SS. This test is of particular interest for patients with SS with neurological manifestations, in whom anti SSA/SSB antibodies are less frequently found.