Neonatal lupus syndrome and microtubular structure

A female infant, at 6 weeks old, with the clinical manifestation of annular erythemas on the trunk and face, was positive for anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B antibodies. The annular erythema disappeared spontaneously at the age of 7 months when anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B antibodies were negative. Electron microscopic observation of the vascular endothelial cells on the annular erythema revealed microtubular structures. Later microtubular structures were found absent from the vascular endothelial cells of the area where the annular erythema had disappeared. The patient's mother is suffering from Sjögren's syndrome; she has no clinical symptoms but anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B antibodies are positive and a biopsy of small salivary glands of the lip demonstrated a marked periductal mononuclear cell infiltration. Microtubular structures were observed in her vascular endothelial cells in the small salivary gland region. These findings suggest that disappearance of microtubular structure may have some relationship with anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B antibodies.