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OBJECTIVE Immunoblot (IB) methods are widely used to detect myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs); however, false-positive results are common. In this study, we aimed to determine whether associating the anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) IIF pattern may help to improve the specificity of MSA detection by IB in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM). METHODS Serum samples from 104 patients presenting with muscle weakness/myalgia and positive to at least one MSA by IB (MYOS12 Diver and MIOS7 Diver, D-tek) were tested for ANAs on HEp-2000 cells (Immuno Concepts). The chi-square test was used to analyse the concordance of the MSA result and its corresponding pattern by ANA testing between patients with and without IIM. RESULTS Eighty-three of the 104 patients had a diagnosis of definite IIM, while in 21 cases, patients were affected by other autoimmune diseases or various non-systemic diseases. Forty nine of 83 (59%) patients in the IIM group and 4/21 (19%) in the non-IIM group showed a concordance between ANA pattern and MSAs by IB (P < 0.001). MSA monopositivity was significantly associated with IIM (91.6%) compared with 61.9% in the non-IIM group (P = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS Considering both the MSA result and its corresponding pattern by ANA testing may help to improve the specificity of MSA detection by IB and to confirm the diagnosis of MSA-associated IIM. The monopositivity of MSAs is an important additional tool to validate IB results.

A lively debate has developed regarding the characteristics of the so-called Horologium Augusti, at first known only through a notice in Pliny and subsequently discovered (at least partly) during the course of excavations begun in 1997 (Leonhardt, in: The Horologium of Augustus: debate and context, 2014). The gnomon of the “Horologium” was composed by the obelisk that presently is nearby in “Piazza Montecitorio” in Rome (Fig. 1). A large part of the debate has centred on the very function of the Horologium, in particular whether it was a true functioning solar clock or simply a sundial. The scope of the present essay concentrates rather on the metrical accuracy that such a sundial could have had; in particular, we will hazard a hypothesis as to the accuracy with which the direction of the sundial was laid out and the possibility of measuring the azimuth in its present placement. Such a detailed geodetic-topographic survey of the portion thus far excavated, could provide useful information for the eventual pursuit of excavations yielding, at the same time, further avenues of research; as an example it would also allow for the deduction of two pieces of information still not entirely established: the exact height of the gnomon, and the exact position of the original placement of the axis of the obelisk.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]

International audience; Abstract Available from http://www.agu.org

[1] We use GPS data to measure the aseismic slip along the central San Andreas fault (CSAF) and the deformation across adjacent faults. Comparison of EDM and GPS data sets implies that, except for small-scale transients, the fault motion has been steady over the last 40 years. We add 42 new GPS velocities along the CSAF to constrain the regional strain distribution. Shear strain rates are less than 0.083 ± 0.010 μstrain/yr adjacent to the creeping SAF, with 1–4.5 mm/yr of contraction across the Coast Ranges. Dislocation modeling of the data gives a deep, long-term slip rate of 31–35 mm/yr and a shallow (0–12 km) creep rate of 28 mm/yr along the central portion of the CSAF, consistent with surface creep measurements. The lower shallow slip rate may be due to the effect of partial locking along the CSAF or reflect reduced creep rates late in the earthquake cycle of the adjoining SAF rupture zones.

Previous studies have demonstrated that serum anti-actin antibodies are a reliable marker of intestinal damage severity in coeliac disease.To validate in a multicentre study the clinical usefulness of serum IgA anti-actin antibody ELISA and its possible use in monitoring intestinal mucosa lesions during gluten-free diet.Four centres recruited 205 newly diagnosed coeliac disease patients with villous atrophy, 80 healthy controls and 81 "disease" controls. Twelve coeliac disease patients on gluten-free diet but with persistent symptoms underwent serum IgA anti-actin antibody assay and intestinal histology evaluation. IgA anti-actin antibody ELISA was performed with a commercial kit. All coeliac disease patients underwent intestinal histology study.IgA anti-actin antibodies showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 85% in the diagnosis of coeliac disease patients with villous atrophy. The area under the receiving operator curve for anti-actin antibodies was 0.873 [95% C.I. 0.805-0.899]. Serum anti-actin antibodies values were significantly higher in coeliac disease patients than in healthy or "disease" controls (P0.0001). Serum anti-actin antibodies were positive in 41 of the 60 coeliac disease patients with mild intestinal histology lesions (69%) and in 123 of the 145 with severe lesions (85.3%) (P0.05). There was a significant inverse correlation between anti-actin antibody values and the villi/crypts ratio (r=-0.423; P0.0001). In the 12 coeliac disease patients on gluten-free diet who underwent re-evaluation as they were persistently symptomatic, intestinal histology showed three cases with persistent villous atrophy: all of these were positive for serum anti-actin antibodies ELISA, whereas both serum anti-tTG and EmAs were negative. The other nine patients showed normal intestinal villi and were negative for serum anti-actin antibodies.Anti-actin antibodies are a reliable marker of severe intestinal mucosa damage in coeliac disease patients and a simple ELISA technique offers an accurate method for their determination. These antibodies seem to be a very reliable marker of persistent intestinal damage in coeliac disease patients.