The relationship between anti-Ro (SS-A) antibody-positive Sjögren's syndrome and anti-Ro (SS-A) antibody-positive lupus erythematosus.

Ten Ro(SS-A) antibody-positive patients with Sjögren's syndrome and lupus erythematosus are described. These patients have a disease process characterized by the frequent appearance of annular polycyclic lupus lesions of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), as well as neurologic and pulmonary disease. The Ro(SS-A) antibody-positive patients may have Sjögren's syndrome for many years and then suddenly develop lupus erythematosus, and vice versa. These studies demonstrate that the patient with Ro(SS-A) antibody may exhibit a dynamic clinical disease expression over time and that there is a closer pathologic relationship between Sjögren's syndrome and SCLE in these patients with Ro(SS-A)-antibody than has previously been appreciated. Furthermore, Ro(SS-A)-positive patients with Sjögren's syndrome and lupus erythematosus appear to have a much more guarded prognosis than those Ro(SS-A)-positive lupus patients described under the classifications of antinuclear antibody-negative lupus erythematosus and SCLE.