Clinical Investigation of Rods and Rings Pattern in Anti-Nuclear Antibody Test in Korean Patients

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing is crucial for diagnosing autoimmune diseases.
• Rods and rings (RR) immunofluorescence patterns are observed in ANA testing.
• The clinical significance of RR patterns requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical significance of rods and rings (RR) immunofluorescence patterns in antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing.
• To analyze the clinical associations of RR patterns.

Main Methods:

• A single-center retrospective analysis was performed.
• Data from January 2022 to December 2023 were examined.
• Cases with RR patterns in ANA testing were analyzed for clinical associations.

Main Results:

• Out of 40 cases (0.5%) with RR patterns, associations were found with autoimmune diseases (35%), infections (25%), and other inflammatory conditions (22.5%).
• High-intensity RR fluorescence showed a higher association with infections (45%) and autoimmune diseases (18%).
• Elevated inflammatory markers were present in 54.5% of cases with inflammatory manifestations.

Conclusions:

• Rods and rings (RR) patterns in ANA testing may serve as potential indicators of underlying inflammatory processes.
• These patterns can be associated with various conditions, including infections and autoimmune diseases.