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[Heterophilic antibodies: be carefull!]
Nancy Sanmartin1, Carine Garcia, Sarah Bugier
1Service de biochimie, toxicologie et pharmacologie cliniques, Hôpital d'instruction des armées Percy, Clamart, France.
Annales De Biologie Clinique
|August 3, 2013
Summary
False positive cardiac troponin results due to heterophilic antibodies can mislead diagnosis of myocardial infarction. This case highlights how these antibodies cause significant interference in troponin Ic testing, potentially leading to dangerous procedures.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Chemistry
- Immunology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiac troponin I or T assays are crucial for diagnosing myocardial infarction, as recommended by health authorities.
- Heterophilic antibodies are known to cause interference in immunoassays, leading to false positive results.
Observation:
- A case report details a patient with falsely elevated cardiac troponin Ic levels.
- The observed abnormalities were intense, affected diverse biological parameters, and showed discrepancies between laboratory findings and clinical presentation.
Findings:
- This case confirms that modern immunoassays, including troponin Ic tests, are susceptible to interference from heterophilic antibodies.
- The specific interference mechanism and its clinical impact were significant in this patient.
Implications:
- False positive troponin results can lead to unnecessary and potentially dangerous invasive procedures for patients.
- Awareness and detection of heterophilic antibody interference are critical for accurate myocardial infarction diagnosis and patient management.
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