Current practices in antinuclear antibody testing: results from the Belgian External Quality Assessment Scheme
| Autor: | René Humbel, Jean-Claude Libeer, Christel Van Campenhout, Marjan Van Blerk, Genevieve Servais, Jean Duchateau, Jean-Paul Tomasi, Adelin Albert, Xavier Bossuyt, Wim W Coucke |
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| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Anticentromere antibodies Dark room Indirect immunofluorescence Quality Assurance Health Care Anti-nuclear antibody business.industry Concordance Biochemistry (medical) Clinical Biochemistry General Medicine Reference Standards Laboratory results Belgium Antibodies Antinuclear Surveys and Questionnaires External quality assessment Immunology medicine Humans Medical physics Fluorescent Antibody Technique Indirect business Quality assurance |
| Zdroj: | Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. 47 |
| ISSN: | 1437-4331 1434-6621 |
| DOI: | 10.1515/cclm.2009.021 |
| Popis: | Background This study aimed to assess the state-of-the-art of antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing as practiced in the Belgian and Luxembourg laboratories, using the results obtained in the Belgian National External Quality Assessment Scheme from 2000 to 2005. Methods During this period, nine samples with different specificities were sent for analysis. Participants were surveyed for methodology used and were asked to report staining pattern and titer of ANAs. In 2002, an attempt was made to improve the comparability of quantitative ANA results by the provision of a commercial reference material and to relate observed differences to methodology. Results With one exception, all participants employed a microscope-based indirect immunofluorescence assay with human epithelial cell line 2 cells. Most laboratories were accurate in describing the pattern. The percentage of unacceptable answers was greater for samples with borderline levels of antibody and for samples showing a cytoplasmic pattern. An improvement in the detection of anticentromere antibodies was observed. For all samples, a wide range of titers was reported. The provision of the secondary reference preparation led to improved inter-laboratory concordance. Comparison of methodology variables revealed a correlation between unstandardized titers and the power of the lamp of the microscope and the use of a dark room. Conclusions The EQAS results presented in this work provide valuable insights into the state of the art of ANA testing as practiced in the Belgian and Luxembourg Laboratories and illustrate the important value of a national EQAS for ANA testing as a tool to improve performance and interlaboratory comparability of laboratory results. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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