Antinuclear Antibody Tests

Morris Ling; Mandakolathur Murali

doi:10.1016/j.cll.2019.07.001

Antinuclear Antibody Tests

Clin Lab Med. 2019 Dec;39(4):513-524. doi: 10.1016/j.cll.2019.07.001. Epub 2019 Oct 4.

Authors

Morris Ling¹, Mandakolathur Murali²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Cox 201, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

PMID: 31668266
DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2019.07.001

Abstract

The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), which include autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENAs), in the sera of patients with connective tissue diseases provides useful immunologic and pathophysiologic insight into the nature of their disease. This article discusses the most commonly used diagnostic modalities for detecting and quantitating the presence of ANA: indirect immunofluorescence assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and multiplex bead technology, which serve as useful screening tests. We also review testing for autoantibodies to ENAs, which are often helpful to confirm the diagnosis of a specific connective tissue disease.

Keywords: ANA; Antinuclear antibodies; Jo-1; RNP; SS-A; SS-B; Scl70; Sm.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Antinuclear / blood*
Autoimmune Diseases / diagnosis*
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect*
Humans
Immunoassay*

Substances

Antibodies, Antinuclear