Autoantibodies and Sjogren’s Syndrome in Multiple Sclerosis, a Reappraisal

BACKGROUND: Rheumatologic diseases may cause neurologic disorders that mimic multiple sclerosis (MS). A panel of serum autoantibodies is often obtained as part of the evaluation of patients suspected of having MS. OBJECTIVES: To determine, in light of recently revised diagnostic criteria for MS, neuromyelitis optica, and Sjogren’s Syndrome, if testing for autoantibodies in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MS would reveal a frequency or demonstrate a clinical utility divergent from previous reports or lead to identification of undiagnosed cases of Sjogren’s Syndrome. METHODS: Convenience sample cross-sectional study of MS patients recruited from the OHSU Multiple Sclerosis Center. RESULTS: Autoantibodies were detected in 38% (35/91) of patients with MS and were not significantly associated with disease characteristics or severity. While four patients had SSA antibodies, none met diagnostic criteria for Sjogren’s Syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Rheumatologic autoantibodies are frequently found in MS patients and are not associated with disease severity or systemic rheumatologic disease. Our demonstration of the low specificity of these autoantibodies suggests that the diagnostic utility and cost-effectiveness of testing is not supported when there is strong clinical suspicion of MS and low clinical suspicion of rheumatologic disease.