Antinuclear antibodies and histocompatibility antigens in patients on long-term lithium therapy

A survey of antinuclear factor, histocompatibility antigens, red blood cell groups and red blood cell isoenzyme variants is reported in 54 patients on long-term lithium therapy. Eleven patients with detectable antinuclear factor could not be distinguished from 43 patients without antinuclear factor using age, sex, diagnosis, previous medication, time on lithium or usual dose of lithium. The presence of antinuclear factor was not associated with any particular genetic marker.