Anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMAs) and anti-cytoskeleton antibodies (ACTAs) in liver diseases: a comparison of classical indirect immunofluorescence with ELISA.

In the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis type I (AIH-I), the routine assay of indirect immunofluorescence (IFL), used for the detection of anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMAs), has a low predictive value. On the other hand, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which detects anti-cytoskeleton antibodies (ACTAs), presents contradictory results concerning their specific antigenic target. In this study, we first looked for the immunological properties (isotypes and antigenic targets) of autoantibodies in AIH-I and two other control liver diseases: primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and viral hepatitis (VH), using ELISA based on cytoskeleton proteins: F-actin, G-actin, myosin, tropomyosin, troponin, desmin, vimentin, keratin, and an extract of HEp-2 carcinoma cells.

Autoantibodies in Greek juvenile chronic arthritis patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate sera of Greek patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) for the presence of autoantibodies and correlate these antibodies with the clinical picture and disease activity. Sera from 69 JCA patients and sera from 66 healthy children matched for sex and age, were tested for antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), antibodies to extractable cellular antigens (ENAs), rheumatoid factor (RF), immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM), antibodies to double stranded (ds) DNA and anticardiolipin (CL). Our results indicate that: (a) autoantibodies to dsDNA are a not uncommon finding in JCA sera; (b) these autoantibodies have a low affinity for the antigen since they are found in low titers only by ELISA, while the Farr assay and Crithidia lucilliae immunofluorescence assay (IF) are negative; and (c) active JCA patients express many autoantibodies.

Determination of anti-ds-DNA antibodies by three different methods: comparison of sensitivity, specificity and correlation with lupus activity index (LAI).

Ninety-seven sera, 58 from patients with SLE and 39 from patients with other autoimmune rheumatic diseases were tested for anti-ds-DNA antibody activity by ELISA, Farr, and Crithidia Lucilliae assays. Fifty-six per cent of the sera were positive by at least one method. Eighty per cent of the SLE population was positive by ELISA, 39% by Farr Assay and 33% by the Crithidia assay.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis: case report.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis is a rare disorder. A case of a male patient presenting with loss of pain and temperature sensation, lack of sweat, and mild mental retardation is described. Differential diagnosis with similar pathological conditions is presented.

Monoclonal gammopathy in chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

The incidence of monoclonal gammopathy in 61 patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) was studied. The distribution of patients among the CMPD subgroups was: chronic myelocytic leukemia, 24 patients; myelofibrosis, 11; polycythemia vera, 15; essential thrombocythemia, 7; unclassified MPD, 4 patients. Monoclonal gammopathy was found in 5 patients (8.