Description
Whether or not mixed connective tissue disease is a distinct entity has been a bone of contention. However, over the past 25 years since Sharp’s initial description, it has become apparent that MCTD patients have characteristic clinical, immunogenetic and serological features that distinguish them from other patients within the spectrum of connective tissue diseases. It is becoming apparent that the clinical and serological features of MCTD are not just a haphazard association but that these patients represent a distinctive subset of autoimmune rheumatic disease in which the specific autoimmune response to U1RNP is relevant to clinical expression and to understanding underlying pathogenesis.
