To determine whether anti-Ro antibodies are associated with gold induced side effects.
A retrospective chart review of 208 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and examination of sera for the presence of anti-Ro antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.
Anti-Ro antibodies were detected in 44 (21%) of our patients with RA and their presence correlated with positive rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody, and secondary Sjögren's syndrome. Thirty-three out of 48 patients with gold induced side effects (69%) were anti-Ro positive in contrast to 11 patients (7.5%) with positive antibodies with no side effects (p < 0.001). Mucocutaneous reactions had the only significant correlation (p < 0.01) with the presence of anti-Ro antibodies.
Patients with RA with anti-Ro antibodies are prone to develop mucocutaneous side effects to gold salts.