Autoimmunity

Connective Tissue Diseases
The Anti-Nuclear Autoantibodies (ANA) represent a large family of autoantibodies against ubiquitously occurring and organ unspecific antigens of the nucleus and cytoplasm. Those antibodies serve as diagnostic markers of systemic rheumatic connective tissue diseases, like e.g. Lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren’s syndrome, Sharp syndrome (mixed connective tissue disease), polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and others. IDS provides a comprehensive portfolio to screen, differentiate and monitor autoantibodies for the effective diagnosis of many connective tissue diseases.

Rheumatoid Disease
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory polyarthritis, affecting the synovial joints. RA is one of the most common autoimmune diseases and its clinical evolution leads to serious joint damage; an early diagnosis of RA and an immediate beginning of adequate treatment is important to prevent the progression of the joint destruction.

Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is the most common chronic bowel disorder, caused by an abnormal immune response to epitopes of gluten in food, which is found in wheat, rye and barley. It can occur in genetically predisposed people, meaning that it can run in families. Ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide.

Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease, caused by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). It provokes blood clots in arteries and veins, as well as in pregnancy related complications such as miscarriages. The presence of antibodies against phospholipids in patients with venous or arterial thrombosis, as well as in patients with complications during pregnancy, is the essential laboratory marker for diagnosis of APS. Furthermore, testing those antibodies might be essential for the classification of SLE.

Vasculitis
The Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) are autoantibodies directed against antigens in the cytoplasm of granulocytes and monocytes. The ANCA markers are of serological importance for several necrotizing Vasculitides, affecting the small- and medium-sized blood vessels, displaying the disease groups of ANCA associated Vasculitides.

Liver Disease
Autoimmune diseases of the liver, like Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and type 2 Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH), can be diagnosed by using liver disease parameters, AMA-M2 and LKM. Early detection is highly important in order to prevent destruction of organ tissue. In addition to early detection and differential diagnosis, determination of liver autoantibodies allows a prognostic classification of the diseases.

Thyroid
The autoimmune thyroid diseases (TA) are the most frequent among all autoimmune diseases. In the blood of patients with thyroid disease, it is possible to isolate autoantibodies which attack the gland, compromising its correct function.

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