The Clinical Utility of Autoantibodies in Patients with Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis

Abstract

Background

Although the etiopathogenesis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is still controversial, recently autoimmunity and immune dysregulation have been emphasized. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical utility of autoantibodies in IGM.

Material and Methods

Rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-double stranded DNA antibody (anti-ds-DNA), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides antibody (anti-CCP) and perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA) levels were investigated in pathologically diagnosed IGM patients (Group IGM) and healthy women (Group C). IGM patients were divided into two groups as those with active symptoms and signs (Group IGM_A) and those without clinical and radiological findings (Group IGM_R).

Results

While, in Group IGM, the positivity of RF, ANA, anti-ds-DNA, pANCA and anti-CCP was 13.1%, 3.3%, 1.6%, 0%, and 3.3%, respectively, in Group C, they were 13.3%, 0%, 0%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (p > .05). In Groups IGM_A, IGM_R and C, RF positivity was 10%, 16.1%, and 13.3%, respectively. The ANA positivity of Groups IGM_A, IGM_R and C was 0%, 6.5%, and 0%, respectively. Groups IGM_A, IGM_R and C’s anti-ds-DNA positivity were 0%, 3.2%, and 0%, respectively. In all groups, pANCA was negative. The anti-CCP positivity of Groups IGM_A, IGM_R and C was 6.7%, 0%, and 0%, respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings did not support the clinical utility of autoantibodies including RF, ANA, anti-ds-DNA, pANCA and anti-CCP in IGM.

KEYWORDS:

• Rheumatoid factor
• antinuclear antibody
• anti-double stranded DNA antibody
• anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides antibody
• perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody
• idiopathic granulomatous mastitis

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank ENA Laboratuvarlari and its director Assoc. Professor Serkan Tapan. Also, we would like to thank all participants.

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest was declared by the author(s).

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Selcuk University Medical Faculty (2020-15).

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.