Autoimmunity in 28 patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: comparison with Sjögren syndrome and scleroderma

The occurrence of autoantibodies in 28 long-term survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (21 with chronic graft-versus-host disease) was compared with 48 cases of idiopathic Sjögren syndrome and 82 cases of scleroderma. Antinuclear, anti-smooth muscle, and anti-mitochondria antibodies occurred respectively in 80%, 82% and 14% of the post BMT cases. Anti-native DNA, anti-soluble nuclear antigen and anticentromere antibodies were not found. Antiepidermal antibodies were present in 14% of the cases but their pathological role is unclear. Although the clinical manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host disease are similar to Sjögren syndrome and scleroderma the autoantibody profile is significantly different.