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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

A High-Throughput Electrochemiluminescence 7-Plex Assay Simultaneously Screening for Type 1 Diabetes and Multiple Autoimmune Diseases
Published on: May 29, 2020
Diagnostic testing and interpretation of tests for autoimmunity
Christine Castro1, Mark Gourley
1National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. castroc2@mail.nih.gov
Abstract:
Laboratory testing is of great value when evaluating a patient with a suspected autoimmune disease. The results can confirm a diagnosis, estimate disease severity, aid in assessing prognosis and are useful for following disease activity. Components of the laboratory examination include a complete blood count with differential, a comprehensive metabolic panel, measurement of inflammatory markers and autoantibodies, and flow cytometry. This chapter discusses these components and includes a discussion about organ-specific immunologic diseases for which immunologic laboratory testing is used. Comprehensive laboratory evaluation of a suspected autoimmune illness in conjunction with a thorough clinical evaluation provides a better understanding of a patient's immunologic disease.
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