title: Usefulness of anti-dsDNA antibody screening with chemiluminescence followed by confirmation by indirect immunofluorescence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) to detect anti-dsDNA antibodies, using the indirect immunofluorescence test (IIF) on Crithidia luciliae as a reference.
  
  
  METHODS
  The automation system demonstrated 81% efficiency, 100% sensitivity and 82% specificity according to the intrinsic validation process performed using 179 consecutive samples from 169 patients in the beginning of 2011. These patients were subsequently divided into 3 groups according to the co-reactivity of anti-dsDNA results using the 2 methods (reactive, non-reactive and discrepant results).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Upon data analysis, 77% (129/169) of the tests were requested by rheumatologists, and 57% (97/169) of the samples were from lupus patients. Both the reactive and non-reactive results of the CLIA were well defined and standardised, and automation reduced the manual labor required by 70% in a safe and high-quality manner. Furthermore, the high prevalence of patients with lupus and nephritis among the CLIA false-positive results corroborates the hypothesis that the actual index of CLIA false positivity is lower than that initially found in this study.
authors: Maria Roseli Monteiro
authors: MR
authors: Callado
authors: José Rubens Costa
authors: JR
authors: Lima
authors: Maria Nancy de Alencar
authors: MN
authors: Barroso
authors: Antonio Tiago Mota
authors: AT
authors: Pinheiro
authors: Moisés Francisco
authors: MF
authors: da Cruz Neto
authors: Maria Arenilda de Lima
authors: MA
authors: Abreu
authors: Walber Pinto
authors: WP
authors: Vieira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D004247:DNA