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Detection of Antibody against Extractable Nuclear Antigen by an Enzyme‐Linked Immuno‐Sorbent Assay
Author(s) -
Struckmann J.,
Worning P.,
Manthorpe R.,
Bendixen G.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1985.tb02683.x
Subject(s) - mixed connective tissue disease , medicine , extractable nuclear antigens , antibody , connective tissue , immunology , connective tissue disease , antigen , autoantibody , anti nuclear antibody , pathology , autoimmune disease
Anti‐ENA antibody determination by ELISA technique may offer a valuable diagnostic help in the discrimination of patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) from those with other chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases. Determination of this antibody was performed in a prospective designed investigation among 101 blood donors, 154 patients with various non‐rheumatic internal medical diseases, and 229 patients with chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases, including five patients with MCTD. A positive titre of anti‐ENA antibody was found in approximately 10% of blood donors and patients with various internal medical disorders. A highly positive anti‐ribonucleoprotein (RNP) titre was found in the patients with MCTD, but was also observed in patients with other chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases, giving a predictive value of 56 % for MCTD. We conclude that highly positive anti‐RNP antibody values do not automatically indicate the diagnosis MCTD. Other diagnostic possibilities should still be considered.