title: The clinical significance of anticytoplasmic antibodies found on fluorescent antinuclear antibody testing.
abstract: We evaluated anticytoplasmic antibodies (FACA) found on immunofluorescent antinuclear antibody tests (FANA). Of 1830 sera submitted to our laboratory for FANA testing, we found a 2.7% incidence of FACA as compared to a 21.5% incidence of FANA. Patients with FACA had rheumatologic and other systemic diseases closely resembling those present in controls with FANA, indicating that FACA provide a pathologic marker independent of FANA. Among FACA+ patients studied further, 59% were found to have serum antibodies to mitochondrial (Mit) and/or smooth muscle (SMus) antigens, largely in the absence of liver disease. By contrast, sera from FANA+ controls lacked anti-Mit and anti-SMus antibodies, but did contain antibodies to SSA, SSB, dsDNA, Sm, and RNP in much higher frequency than FACA+ sera.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear