Can anyone understand these results?

[bflare]

My GP asked for an IFAB test and parietal antibody test. I have now received the below results which I assume cover the IFAB and parietal antibody test. I have no idea what they mean.

Pathology Investigations

ANA screen (Bioplex) ANA screen performed on Bioplex multiplex analyser.

Anti-nuclear factor level Negative ANA Screen (Bioplex)

DNA binding autoantibody level 1.00 IU/mL [< 9.99]

Serum SSA 60 (Ro) antibody concentration < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

Serum SSA 52 (Ro) antibody concentration < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

La antibody level (UoM = AI) < 0.20 AI [< 2.49]

Sm antibody level (UoM = AI) < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

Smith and ribonucleoprotein antibody level < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

RNP antibody level (UoM = AI) < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

Scl 70 antibody level (UoM = AI) < 0.20 AI [< 2.49]

Jo-1 antibody level (UoM = AI) < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

Centromere antibody level (UoM = AI) < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

Chromatin immunoglobulin G antibody level < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

Ribosomal autoantibody level < 0.20 AI [< 0.99]

The results state satisfactory.

Can anyone give me any idea what they mean?

[Technoid]

This is an anti-nuclear antibody screen:

leedsth.nhs.uk/services/pat...

The NHS site explains that "The presence of ANA occurs in a number of autoimmune conditions eg SLE, Systemic sclerosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, dermato/polymyositis, and mixed connective tissue disease"

I am not an immunologist or clinician but I would check whether the right test was ordered. I do not see any results for IFAB or PCAB. Should be able to confirm this with your GP.

[bflare in reply to Technoid]

Yes, I agree it appears that the specific IFAB or PCAB specific autoantibodies have been tested. Maybe, this is yet to come through as those tests still state 'awaiting sample'.

[FlipperTD in reply to Technoid]

Technoid once more pulls the cat out of the bag! Well done. It seems that the Leeds site has replaced Indirect Immunofluorescence with an initial automated screen, but this suggests they still perform Indirect Immunofluorescence to confirm positivity.

[FlipperTD]

Scientist, not medic. Much of this is a bit outside my field. What you've got here is an auto-antibody screen, and it's all universally negative. You don't however have either IFAb or Parietal Cell antibody test results within this panel. My guess is that the lab doing the test has the BioPlex Multiplex analyser, but probably sends the other tests off to another lab if they're needed.

Parietal Cell Antibody testing is probably still an indirect immunofluorescence test, which is a 'hands-on' test involving a complicated procedure including microscopy.

There are several ways of testing for IFAb, but it's probably still not a widely performed test, and requires 'sending off' to a referral lab. IFAb testing detects an 'antibody-like reaction' rather than an antibody to a specific antigen. As I might have said in the past, 'It's complicated'!

The Multiplex procedure is [technically at any rate] a far simpler procedure. [Try Googling the BioPlex Multiplex].