This panel can be helpful in the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and several other autoimmune diseases, including mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogren syndrome, systemic sclerosis, and autoimmune thyroid disease. The panel simultaneously tests for antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) with an immunofluorescence assay (IFA), performed on human epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cells, and 11 biomarkers associated with these conditions. For specimens with positive ANA IFA results, reflex testing for ANA titer and pattern is performed.
The ANA testing has high sensitivity (97%) for SLE but limited specificity (34%) [1]. Thus, a positive ANA test does not exclude other autoimmune diseases with similar clinical features [2]. Testing for specific antibodies in a panel may expedite the evaluation of SLE but is generally not recommended [3].
The results of this test should be interpreted in the context of pertinent clinical and family history and physical examination findings.