ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses autoantibodies, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, scleroderma disorders, mixed connective tissue disease, sjogren syndrome, vasculitis, amyloidosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteopetrosis (marble bone disease), osteochondrodysplasias, non-inflammatory pain syndromes, and syndromes involving absent radii. It provides clinical manifestations, prognostic features, investigations, and management of the diseases. Non-organ specific autoantibodies associated with rheumatic disease are outlined. None is absolutely diagnostic but many are quite sensitive and specific. Antibodies to phospholipid antigens. Associated with thrombosis in vivo but coagulation prolongation in vitro. Reactive arthritis is viral and post-infectious arthritides, including acute rheumatic fever and arthritis following respiratory, genitourinary tract and gastrointestinal tract infections. Antiphospholipid Syndrome is a syndrome characterized by antiphospholipid antibodies which are involved in thrombosis. May be associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. The lupus anticoagulant is a specific laboratory test which usually correlates with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies.
