Diagnostic testing and interpretation of tests for autoimmunity.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 20061009.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2009.09.041 and PMC identifier 2832720.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Laboratory testing is of great value when evaluating a patient with a suspected autoimmune disease. The results can confirm a diagnosis, estimate disease severity, aid in assessing prognosis and are useful for following disease activity. Components of the laboratory examination include a complete blood count with differential, a comprehensive metabolic panel, measurement of inflammatory markers and autoantibodies, and flow cytometry. This chapter discusses these components and includes a discussion about organ-specific immunologic diseases for which immunologic laboratory testing is used. Comprehensive laboratory evaluation of a suspected autoimmune illness in conjunction with a thorough clinical evaluation provides a better understanding of a patient's immunologic disease.
Medical subject headings
- Autoantibodies
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Biomarkers
- Immunologic Tests