Evaluation of cellular substrates for antinuclear antibody determinations

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cell Biology
• Serology

Background:

• Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are important biomarkers for autoimmune diseases.
• Accurate titration of ANA in serum samples is crucial for diagnosis and monitoring.
• The choice of substrate for immunofluorescence assays can significantly impact ANA detection sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the sensitivity of various human and animal cell monolayers and tissue sections as substrates for ANA detection.
• To identify optimal cell substrates for reliable ANA titration in clinical diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the immunofluorescent technique to assess substrate sensitivity.
• Evaluated 10 different human and animal cell lines and tissue sections.
• Tested 21 selected positive serum samples to determine relative substrate sensitivity and rank stability.

Main Results:

• Baby hamster kidney (BHK 21/C13) and human lung (WI-38) fibroblast cell lines demonstrated the highest mean sensitivity ranks.
• These fibroblast cell lines maintained their sensitivity ranks consistently across different positive sera.
• Commercial rat kidney and liver tissue sections exhibited the lowest sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• Fibroblast cell lines, specifically BHK 21/C13 and WI-38, are superior substrates for sensitive and reliable ANA detection.
• The selection of appropriate cell substrates is critical for accurate ANA titration in immunofluorescent assays.
• Rat kidney and liver tissues are less suitable for ANA detection compared to fibroblast cell lines.