Immunobiological Significance of the Ro/SSA Antigen-Antibody System

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Abstract
A humoral autoimmune response to the Ro/SSA (anti-Sjögren's syndrome A) antigen is seen in several disease states that involve the skin. Circulating anti-Ro/SSA antibodies can be found in the majority of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome,1 neonatal lupus erythematosus (LE) and congenital heart block,2-4 "ANA negative" systemic LE,5,6 subacute cutaneous LE,7 and C2 deficiency.8,9 Antibodies to the related La/SSB (anti-Sjögren's syndrome B) antigen also occur in these disorders, but in a much lower frequency. There are a number of unresolved, clinically relevant issues that pertain to the immunobiology of the small cellular ribonucleoprotein particles that have recently been identified by using these autoantibodies as probes. In this issue of the Archives, Wermuth and co-workers10 present data that address one of these issues—the subcellular localization of the Ro/SSA particle. I would like to take the opportunity to review some of the literature pertaining to this and