Anti-cytolethal distending toxin antibodies in systemic sclerosis: associations with gastrointestinal disease and immune dysregulation.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Anti-cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) antibodies may serve as biomarkers for post-infectious autoimmunity and aid clinical risk stratification. We aimed to determine the prevalence of anti-CDT antibodies in a large, well-characterized cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and examine associations with gastrointestinal (GI) and extraintestinal clinical features and SSc-related antibodies.

Methods

Sera from 130 SSc patients enriched for GI disease were screened for anti-CDT antibodies by ELISA. Clinical features, UCLA GIT 2.0-assessed symptoms and autoantibody profiles were compared between patients with and without anti-CDT antibodies. Linear mixed-effects models evaluated whether anti-CDT titres changed over time and correlated with longitudinal UCLA GIT 2.

SUBMITTER: Di Ciommo FR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12633776 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature