A study of anti-carbonic anhydrase II antibodies in rheumatic autoimmune diseases

Autoantibodies to human carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) were screened by ELISA in 109 sera from Asian-Japanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogren's syndrome (Sjs), progressive systemic sclerosis (P SS) and dermatomyositis (DM). Anti-CAII antibodies were positive in 24.1% o f SLE, 20.0% of primary Sjs, 16.7% of PSS and 25.0% of DM. On the other han d, sera from atopic dermatitis, bullous pemphigoid and psoriasis patients s howed no activity for anti-CAII antibodies. CAII could be a common exonucle ar autoantigen in subsets of rheumatic autoimmune diseases. (C) 1999 Elsevi er Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.