Abstract
Objectives:
This study aims to evaluate the results of indirect fluorescent assay (IFA) using the specimens sent to the medical microbiology laboratory for antinuclear antibody (ANA) screening.
Patients and methods:
Between May 2012 and February 2013, results of a total of 2,268 patients with suspected autoimmune disease were retrospectively analyzed for the presence of autoantibodies by the Medical Microbiology Laboratories of Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital. The preparations which were prepared by the instructions of the manufacturer with human epithelial cancer (HEp) 2010 cells were assessed under indirect fluorescence microscopy.
Results:
Antinuclear antibody positivity was detected in 33.3% (n=755) of specimens at various titers and patterns. Antinuclear antibody positivity was highest in Rheumatology clinic (41.1%; n=310), followed by Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic (15.0%; n=113). Among ANA-positive patients, the most common fluorescence patterns were nuclear granular (30.1%) and nucleoli patterns (16.2%).
Conclusion:
Antinuclear antibody-positivity rates were higher in our study than other published studies. Standardization is necessary for literature data and titles of nuclear, nucleoli, mitotic, and cytoplasmic pattern can be useful for common terminology. Collaboration with relevant clinics has been made to review low-titer positive patients, particularly, to optimize the results, and to establish positive and negative cut-off values of the test at expected levels.
VOLUME
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ISSUE
Correspondence
Received
Accepted
Published
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