Autoantibodies and overlap syndromes in autoimmune rheumatic disease

Many patients diagnosed with autoimmune rheumatic disease cannot be categor ised easily into one of the established clinical entities such as systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, or systemic sclerosis. The term "over lap syndrome" has been increasingly used to identify such patients and is u seful in terms of clarifying prognosis and facilitating disease management. This article reviews overlap syndrome in autoimmune rheumatic disease, wit h particular emphasis on the associated serological markers.