[Detection and clinical evaluation of antibodies against soluble nuclear antigens]

The presence of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) is particularly common in the group with so-called "systemic rheumatic disease". Routinely these antibodies are detected by indirect immunofluorescence techniques using different substrates since they are non-organ and non-species specific. Nowadays the detection o ANA in a particular patient is not enough further study must be done to identify the antigen responsible for that pattern. Many different nuclear antigens have been described. In this review, we comment on the detections, clinical significance and incidence of antibodies produced against certain specific nuclear antigens: the saline extractable nuclear antigen (ENA). These antigens have been detected indirectly by using immunodiffusion, counterimmunoelectrophoresis by bringing into contact the patient's serum and nuclear antigenic extracts from different sources.