Detection of autoantibodies to DSF70/LEDGFp75 in Mexican Hispanics using multiple complementary assay platforms

Antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) targeting the dense fine speckled antigen DFS70, also known as lens epithelium-derived growth factor p75 (LEDGF/p75), are attracting attention due to their low frequency in systemic rheumatic diseases but increased frequency in clinical laboratory referrals and healthy individuals (HI). These ANA specifically recognize the stress protein DFS70/LEDGFp75, implicated in cancer, HIV-AIDS, and inflammation. While their frequency has been investigated in various ethnic populations, there is little information on their frequency among Hispanics/Latinos. In this study, we determined the frequency of anti-DFS70/LEDGFp75 autoantibodies in Mexican Hispanics using multiple detection platforms.

The frequency of anti-DFS70/LEDGFp75 antibodies was determined in 171 individuals, including 71 dermatomyositis (DM) patients, 47 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, 30 obesity (OB) patients, and 23 HI. Antibody detection was achieved using four complementary assay platforms: indirect immunofluorescence, Western blotting, ELISA, and chemiluminescent immunoassay.

We detected relatively low frequencies of anti-DFS70/LEDGFp75 antibodies in patients with DM (1.4%), RA (4.3%), and OB (6.6%), and elevated frequency (17.4%) in HI. A strong concordance between the different antibody detection platforms was observed.

The low frequency of anti-DFS70/LEDGFp75 antibodies in Mexican patients with rheumatic diseases, but relatively higher frequency in HI, is consistent with previous observations with non-Hispanic populations, suggesting that geographic differences or ethnicity do not influence the frequency of these autoantibodies. Our results also highlight the importance of confirmatory assays for the accurate detection of these autoantibodies. Future studies with larger cohorts of healthy Hispanics/Latinos are needed to confirm if their anti-DFS70/LEDGFp75 antibody frequencies are significantly higher than in non-Hispanics.