Which autoimmune disease is associated with anti-centromere antibodies and limited scleroderma?

• A. CREST syndrome (limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis)
• B. Goodpasture syndrome
• C. Wegener granulomatosis
• D. Systemic lupus erythematosus

Answer: (A)

Anti-centromere antibodies are most characteristic of CREST syndrome, the limited form of systemic sclerosis. CREST stands for Calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, Esophageal dysmotility, Sclerodactyly, and Telangiectasia. This form tends to involve only the face and distal extremities and generally has a better prognosis than the diffuse form. In limited scleroderma, anti-centromere antibodies are common, whereas other autoimmune diseases listed are linked to different antibodies or patterns—Goodpasture with anti-GBM, Wegener (granulomatosis with polyangiitis) with c-ANCA/PR3, and SLE with anti-dsDNA/anti-Smith. So the described association points to CREST syndrome.