Sjögren's syndrome with anticentromere antibodies

Clinical and laboratory findings in 10 women with Sjogren's syndrome and positive anticentromere antibodies were compared to those in 50 patients with Sjögren's syndrome and typical serologic features. The anticentromere antibody-positive patients were more likely to have Raynaud's phenomenon and less likely to have leukopenia polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, rheumatoid factor, and anti-SSA/Ro antibody. Four anticentromere antibody-positive patients developed limited cutaneous scleroderma during follow-up, but none had lymphoma; some of the other patients in this group exhibited stable symptoms typical for Sjögren's syndrome. Among our overall population of Sjogren's syndrome patients who met diagnostic criteria for primary Sjogren's syndrome at the first evaluation, 16.6% tested positive for anticentromere antibodies.