Different types of autoantibodies in rheumatic diseases and methods of their determination

Abstract

Rheumatic diseases are a group of chronic disorders with varied and frequently unexplained autoimmune etiology. They results from an immune response targeted against own antigens in the autoimmune process. Arising autoantibodies bind to the autoantigen, ultimately leading to cell and tissue damage. Rheumatic diseases are characterized by the presence of antibodies exhibiting a specific antigenic activity which is useful for making the correct diagnosis. There is a known correlation between the certain autoantibodies, so-called marker autoantibodies, and specific clinical findings. Autoantibodies from this group have a high diagnostic and prognostic value. It must be emphasized that the detection of antibody in the blood serum is not in itself sufficient for diagnosis a disease, if no clinical symptoms are present. A major role in the immune diagnostics of rheumatic diseases is played by serological tests, primarily the indirect immunofluorescence assay, the last one being recognized as a gold standard in antinuclear antibodies detection. This thesis contains a description of different types of antibodies found in rheumatic disorders, an evaluation of their clinical usefulness and immunodiagnostic methods of their determination.