Clinical characteristics of anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive versus anti-Ro52/TRIM21-negative patients with anti-synthetase syndrome: a retrospective cohort study
4 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- 2Biomedical Data Science Facility, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- 3SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- 4Division of Immunology and Allergy, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Abstract
Objectives: Anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies have been linked to interstitial lung disease (ILD) severity in anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS), but their broader clinical relevance remains uncertain. We compared clinical, pulmonary, treatment, and outcome characteristics according to Anti-Ro52/TRIM21 status in a Swiss single-center cohort.
Methods: This retrospective cohort included patients diagnosed with ASS followed at Geneva University Hospitals from 2010 to 2024 who met the Connors criteria and had available anti-Ro52 kDa antibody testing. Group comparisons used two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum or Fisher’s exact tests, and exploratory associations were assessed using univariate Firth logistic regression.
Results: Among 295 screened records, 38 patients were included (16 anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients and 22 anti-Ro52/TRIM21-negative); mean follow-up was 6.63 ± 5.34 years. Pulmonary involvement was numerically more frequent in anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients (15/16 [93.8%] vs 17/22 [77.3%]; p = 0.37), but the regression association was not statistically significant (OR 3.27, 95% CI 0.66–24.51; p = 0.18). Severe infections occurred in 6/16 (37.5%) versus 1/22 (4.5%) patients (p = 0.028); the univariate OR was 12.60 (95% CI 1.82–255.43; p = 0.027). Baseline DLCO and FVC were similar between the groups (p = 0.598 and p = 0.824, respectively). Treatment patterns differed descriptively, including greater use of biologic in some treatment lines among anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients.
Conclusions: In this small exploratory cohort, severe infections were more frequent among anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients in unadjusted analyses, whereas pulmonary involvement differed only numerically and baseline pulmonary function was similar. Treatment-related confounding factors and the imprecise infection estimate limit interpretation. Larger multicenter studies with standardized longitudinal pulmonary assessment and appropriately adjusted analyses accounting for treatment exposure are needed. Key Points
• Pulmonary involvement was numerically more frequent in anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients, but the difference was not statistically significant.
• Severe infections were more frequent in anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients in unadjusted analyses, but the estimate was imprecise and potentially confounded by treatment exposure.
• Baseline muscle involvement, DLCO, FVC, and prednisone doses at measured time points were broadly similar between the groups.
• Differences in steroid-sparing treatment patterns were descriptive but should not be interpreted as evidence of a distinct or more severe disease course.
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BibTeX
@article{teixeira2026clinical,
title = {{Clinical characteristics of anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive versus anti-Ro52/TRIM21-negative patients with anti-synthetase syndrome: a retrospective cohort study}},
author = {Vanessa Oliveira Teixeira and Tania Wyss and Peter Jandus},
journal = {Clinical Rheumatology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1007/s10067-026-08377-4},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-026-08377-4},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Clinical characteristics of anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive versus anti-Ro52/TRIM21-negative patients with anti-synthetase syndrome: a retrospective cohort study
AU - Vanessa Oliveira Teixeira
AU - Tania Wyss
AU - Peter Jandus
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/08
JO - Clinical Rheumatology
DO - 10.1007/s10067-026-08377-4
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-026-08377-4
AB - Objectives: Anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies have been linked to interstitial lung disease (ILD) severity in anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS), but their broader clinical relevance remains uncertain. We compared clinical, pulmonary, treatment, and outcome characteristics according to Anti-Ro52/TRIM21 status in a Swiss single-center cohort. Methods: This retrospective cohort included patients diagnosed with ASS followed at Geneva University Hospitals from 2010 to 2024 who met the Connors criteria and had available anti-Ro52 kDa antibody testing. Group comparisons used two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum or Fisher’s exact tests, and exploratory associations were assessed using univariate Firth logistic regression. Results: Among 295 screened records, 38 patients were included (16 anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients and 22 anti-Ro52/TRIM21-negative); mean follow-up was 6.63 ± 5.34 years. Pulmonary involvement was numerically more frequent in anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients (15/16 [93.8%] vs 17/22 [77.3%]; p = 0.37), but the regression association was not statistically significant (OR 3.27, 95% CI 0.66–24.51; p = 0.18). Severe infections occurred in 6/16 (37.5%) versus 1/22 (4.5%) patients (p = 0.028); the univariate OR was 12.60 (95% CI 1.82–255.43; p = 0.027). Baseline DLCO and FVC were similar between the groups (p = 0.598 and p = 0.824, respectively). Treatment patterns differed descriptively, including greater use of biologic in some treatment lines among anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients. Conclusions: In this small exploratory cohort, severe infections were more frequent among anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients in unadjusted analyses, whereas pulmonary involvement differed only numerically and baseline pulmonary function was similar. Treatment-related confounding factors and the imprecise infection estimate limit interpretation. Larger multicenter studies with standardized longitudinal pulmonary assessment and appropriately adjusted analyses accounting for treatment exposure are needed. Key Points • Pulmonary involvement was numerically more frequent in anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. • Severe infections were more frequent in anti-Ro52/TRIM21-positive patients in unadjusted analyses, but the estimate was imprecise and potentially confounded by treatment exposure. • Baseline muscle involvement, DLCO, FVC, and prednisone doses at measured time points were broadly similar between the groups. • Differences in steroid-sparing treatment patterns were descriptive but should not be interpreted as evidence of a distinct or more severe disease course.
SN - 0770-3198
SN - 1434-9949
ER -