Detection of Antinuclear Antibodies by Solid-Phase Immunoassays and Immunofluorescence Analysis (Clinical Immunology‪)‬

Autoantibodies directed against cell nuclear autoantigens are called antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), [7] although several of these autoantigens actually shuttle between nuclei and cytoplasm during the cell cycle or are permanently localized in the cytoplasm. Most ANAs probably do not have a pathogenetic role in autoimmune inflammatory disease but may reflect the inflammatory events taking place in the tissues in such diseases (1). Positive ANA testing is associated with several inflammatory rheumatic diseases and has been included in the classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (2), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) (3) and the European classification criteria for Sjogren syndrome (55) (4) among others. ANAs can also be a critical part in the diagnosis of several nonrheumatic autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune hepatitis and drug-induced autoimmune syndromes (5, 6).