@incollection{3115436,
    title = "SS-B (La) AUTOANTIBODIES",
    author = "Routsias, John G. and Tzioufas, Athanasios G.",
    booktitle = "AUTOANTIBODIES, 2ND EDITION",
    publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV",
    year = "2007",
    isbn = "978-0-08-046723-8; 978-0-44-452763-9",
    pages = "239-246",
    doi = "10.1016/B978-044452763-9/50036-6",
    abstract = "Anti-La/SS-B antibodies are usually detected in patients with Sjogren’s
syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. They target a 408 amino acid
phosphoprotein - the La/SS-B autoantigen that associates with a variety
of small RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase III, protecting them from
exonuclease digestion and regulating their downstream processing.
La/SS-B also binds viral RNAs (e. g. adenovirus VA, Epstein Barr EBER),
viral and human RNAs possessing IRES (internal ribosomal entry elements)
as well as the RNA component of telomerase complex. A variety of methods
including immunofluorescence (IF), immunobloting (IB),
immunoprecipitation (IP), ELISA and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE)
have been applied for the detection of anti-La/ SS-B antibodies. Among
them RNA precipitation is considered as the “gold standard” method,
but due to their availability CIE, IB and ELISA are used in every day
routine. Anti-La/SS-B antibodies are closely associated with Sjogren’s
Syndrome, particularly with the presence of extraglandular disease
(affecting kidney, lung and liver). Anti-La/SS-B antibodies are also
found in the serum of mothers whose children had neonatal lupus; in
systemic lupus erythematosus anti-La antibodies are typically present
many years before the onset of the clinical disease. Additionally,
anti-La/SS-B antibodies can be found in patients with rheumatoid factor,
polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and cryoglobulinemia."
}