Serological Overlap Between Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Thyroid Auto-immune Disease

Abstract

Circulating auto-antibodies are being reported in an increasing number of diseases, but their role in the pathogenesis of these disorders is far from clear. The clinical interrelationships and the serological overlap between the " auto-immune" diseases is of particular relevance to the understanding of the fundamental disturbances underlying these phenomena. The occasional finding of L.E. cells in patients with thyroid disorders (Wilkinson and Sacker, 1957;