Autoantibodies directed to centromere protein F in a patient with BRCA1 gene mutation.

Background: Autoantibodies directed to centromere protein F were first reported in 1993 and their association with malignancy has been well documented.

Case: We present the case of a 48-year-old Caucasian female with a BRCA1 gene mutation associated with bilateral breast cancer. Antinuclear autoantibody immunofluorescence performed for workup of possible inflammatory arthropathy showed a high titre cell cycle related nuclear speckled pattern, with subsequent confirmation by addressable laser bead immunoassay of the target antigen as an immunodominant epitope at the C-terminus of centromere protein F.

Conclusion: Here we review the current literature on centromere protein F, its association with breast cancer and present the first case of this antibody being identified in a person with a BRCA1 gene mutation.