Appropriateness of autoantibody testing in clinical medicine.
BACKGROUND
Pathologically expressed autoantibodies reflect ongoing immune-mediated inflammation in patients and may even be regarded as surrogate markers of disease prognosis and clinical outcome in certain clinical settings.


METHODS
The most appropriate way to decide about autoantibody testing is to set a tentative diagnosis before ordering a few clinically relevant autoantibody screening tests and then follow locally agreed rules for continued testing.


RESULTS
Different algorithms were applied considering both the possibility to obtain an initial tentative diagnosis by the clinician and another strategy to be adopted when the clinical information cannot be obtained.


CONCLUSIONS
Guidelines can only be formulated by close collaboration between clinical and laboratory experts that reach agreement on testing and reporting strategies and thereby ensure the highest possible compliance with both local and international recommendations for diagnostics.
Wiik
Allan S
AS
Department of Autoimmunology, Statens Serum Institut, Bldg. 81, 5th floor, Room 544, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S., Denmark. aw@ssi.dk
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D015510:Clinical Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*
D001323:Autoantibodies