Indirect immunofluorescence in the study and diagnosis of organ-specific autoimmune disease.
Year: 1986
Type: letter
Abstract: Publisher Summary
This chapter discusses the use of indirect immunofluorescence in the study and diagnosis of organ-specific autoimmune diseases. The detection of autoantibodies is an essential diagnostic criterion to establish the autoimmune origin of diseases previously considered of unknown etiology. For this purpose, the indirect immunofluorescence technique is still the test of choice. It is a simple and reliable method in the hands of the expert for detecting serum antibodies directed against a variety of tissue structures or cell components. This test is carried out on cryostat sections of unfixed tissue with the clear advantage of detecting autoantibodies to unaltered antigens. The antibody test requires no more than a small amount of serum from the patient and a positive result provides a valuable diagnostic tool and the basis for the study of the complex role of cellular and humoral reactions that leads to overt disease. Immunofluorescence also helps to identify new autoantibodies and these can be so specific that they react only with one cell type within an organ. This is the case for the pancreatic islets, the pituitary gland, and the gut mucosa.
Source: PubMed
Authors: H Kogel, J F Vollmar, W A Scherbaum
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1502036760