title: Determination of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens by commercial kits: a multicenter study.
abstract: Several enzyme immunoassays for serum antibodies to extractable nuclear antigen have recently become available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results obtained with: (1) the same kit under different conditions; (2) different enzyme immunoassays; (3) Western blot and enzyme immunoassays. Twenty-five sera from patients with autoimmune disorders were tested in five different laboratories by one Western blot and four enzyme immunoassay commercial kits. The different methods produced comparable qualitative results. However, semiquantitative evaluation, based on a cut-off value (index), yielded different results due both to laboratory conditions and to the kits employed. Standardization of commercial products and methods should be improved so that the results of different laboratories can be compared and large-scale and follow-up studies conducted. Western blot analysis could also be useful to analyze complex reactivities, although greater experience is necessary to interpret these results correctly.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, San Gallicano Institute, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cordiali Fei
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Agosto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ameglio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valesini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alessandri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farsi
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Domenighetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passaleva
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scamardella
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bombardieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinzanini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarotti
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015588:Observer Variation; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic