Bicaudal D2 autoantibodies are highly specific for systemic sclerosis

Autoantibodies directed against the intracellular protein bicaudal D2 (BICD2) have been identified as a specific marker of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Since autoantibodies are of value in predicting disease onset and identifying meaningful clinical subsets, as well as having prognostic value, this study aimed to establish the prevalence of BICD2 autoantibodies (anti-BICD2) in a cohort of patients with connective tissue disease and healthy controls.

In this cross-sectional study, 363 patients with connective tissue disease (121 SSc, 141 systemic lupus erythematosus, 101 myositis, and 100 blood donors) were tested for the presence of anti-BICD2. All SSc patients were tested for specific anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs), and clinical and laboratory associations were evaluated in the SSc patients, stratified by anti-BICD2 status.

In the SSc cohort, 35 patients had autoantibodies directed against BICD2. The specificity of anti-BICD2 in SSc patients was 96.5%; however, the sensitivity was only 28.9%. Anti-BICD2 and centromere autoantibodies were present together in 91% of the anti-BICD2-positive SSc patients, and in none of the cases was anti-BICD2 the only antibody present. Anti-BICD2-positive patients had lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) (p = 0.01) and lower carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (K_CO) (p = 0.01) than anti-BICD2-negative SSc patients, but they had higher forced vital capacity (p = 0.03).

Autoantibodies against BICD2 were highly specific for SSc patients. Reduced FEV₁ and K_CO in anti-BICD2-positive patients may indicate that the presence of anti-BICD2 is associated with altered lung function in an unknown pathophysiological manner, which awaits further elucidation.