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Clinical interpretation of antinuclear antibody tests in systemic rheumatic diseases

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

Autoantibody tests have been used extensively in diagnosis and follow-up of patients in rheumatology clinics. Immunofluorescent antinuclear antibody test using HEp-2 cells is still considered the gold standard for screening of autoantibodies, and most of specific autoantibodies are currently tested by ELISA as a next step. Among the many autoantibody specificities described, some have been established as clinically useful diagnostic markers and are included in the classification criteria of diseases. Despite a long history of routine tests and attempts to standardize such assays, there are still limitations and problems that clinicians need to be aware of. Clinicians should be able to use autoantibody tests more efficiently and effectively with a basic knowledge on the significance of and potential problems in autoantibody tests.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Luis E. C. Andrade (Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil) for his critical reading of the manuscript. This study was supported by CONACyT grant 51353, Universidad de Guadalajara agreement 25473, to MVDM. MS is supported by the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. EKLC is supported in part by NIH AI47859.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100221, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0221, USA

    Minoru Satoh

  2. Instituto de Investigación en Reumatología y del Sistema Músculo Esquelético Sierra Mojada 950, Planta Baja, CP 44240, Edificio P Ala Oriente, Mexico

    Monica Vázquez-Del Mercado

  3. Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Monica Vázquez-Del Mercado

  4. Divisiòn de Medicina Interna, Reumatòloga, Departamento de Reumatologìa, Hospital Civil Juan I, Mechaca, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Monica Vázquez-Del Mercado

  5. Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0424, USA

    Edward K. L. Chan

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  1. Minoru Satoh
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  2. Monica Vázquez-Del Mercado
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  3. Edward K. L. Chan
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Correspondence to Minoru Satoh.

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Satoh, M., Vázquez-Del Mercado, M. & Chan, E.K.L. Clinical interpretation of antinuclear antibody tests in systemic rheumatic diseases. Mod Rheumatol 19, 219–228 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-009-0155-3

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