title: [Novel immunodiagnostics for inflammatory arthritis].
abstract: Immunodiagnostics play an important role in the differential diagnostics of arthritis but the test results must be interpreted with respect to the clinical context. The detection of antibodies against citrullinated proteins has significantly improved the immunodiagnostics of arthritis, whereas the importance of testing for rheumatoid factor has decreased due to the low specificity. Antibodies against carbamylated or oxidized proteins will expand the immunodiagnostics of arthritis (especially rheumatoid arthritis) in the future. In contrast, the determination of cytokine concentrations in plasma or synovial fluid plays a subordinate role in the differential diagnostics of arthritis. Indirect immunofluorescence continues to be the gold standard in the detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and in the case of positive results further testing for antigen specificity should be carried out. The presence of ANA is not necessarily associated with autoimmune diseases. An example of a non-pathogenic ANA is anti-DFS70 antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Sektion Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, III. Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum Augsburg, Stenglinstr. 2, 86156, Augsburg, Deutschland. matthias.wahle@klinikum-augsburg.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wahle
authors.affiliation: Institut für Labormedizin und Mikrobiologie, Klinikum Augsburg, Stenglinstr. 2, 86156, Augsburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kling
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D007159:Immunologic Tests / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Anti-CCP-antibodies; Antinuclear antibody; Autoimmune diseases; Indirect immunofluorescence; Rheumatoid factor