Clinical Significance of Dense Fine Speckled Pattern: Association with Inflammatory State

Abstract

Background:The clinical significance of the nuclear dense fine speckled (DFS) pattern is unclear among 29 antinuclear antibody (ANA) patterns. DFS pattern has been reported in healthy individuals and in various patients, and is proposed to be an indicator of a proinflammatory microenvironment. We analyzed the association of DFS pattern with inflammatory markers and various diseases. Methods: Medical information was collected for 862 subjects (436 DFS-positive and 426 DFS-negative subjects) who were tested for ANA in regular health checkups or at the outpatient clinic at a tertiary hospital between 2019 and 2022. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the association between inflammatory markers and DFS positivity, and logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for confounding factors. Results: A significant association was observed between the DFS positivity and inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, white blood cell (WBC) counts, and proportions of neutrophils. However, only allergic rhinitis showed a significant association with DFS positivity, whereas other inflammatory-based diseases were significantly associated with negative DFS patterns. The significant relation of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies with DFS positivity was remarkable. Conclusions: Although inflammatory markers such as CRP levels, WBC counts, and proportions of neutrophils were significantly associated with DFS positivity, the link between inflammatory states and DFS positivity remains controversial.