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Updated: Aug 25, 2026

A Protein Microarray Assay for Serological Determination of Antigen-specific Antibody Responses Following Clostridium difficile Infection
Published on: June 15, 2018
[Heterophile antibodies, lack of communication and the diagnostic dilemma]
C G Dietrich1, H Stiegler, A M Gressner
1Medizinische Klinik III, Universitätsklinikums, Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen. Christoph.Dietrich@post.rwth-aachen.de
Background:
Heterophilic antibodies represent a great danger to clinical care by producing false-positive values for certain markers. Too large confidence in specificity of laboratory markers together with lack of communication between clinicians and clinical chemists may lead to unnecessary interventional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The prevalence of heterophilic antibodies is probably much higher than assumed up till now and several markers can be affected.
Aim:
In this review for clinicians, we explain formation of heterophilic antibodies, mechanisms of interference and present clinical data about affected markers and "side effects" from the literature. Furthermore we discuss possible alternatives and measures against this phenomenon. We consider broad awareness of this problem among clinicians the most important action to avoid further harm to patients.
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