Abstract
Background: Automated systems for antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing provide endpoint titers that are predicted based on the fluorescence intensity (FI) value at a screening dilution (single-well titration [SWT]) showing frequent titration errors (more than plus or minus 1 dilution). Methods: Line slope titration (LST) was based on the trend of FI values on dilutions. Three dilutions per specimen were prepared considering a patient's previous titer or FI at the screening dilution. On the XY plot, with the reciprocal of dilution as the X-axis and FI value as the Y-axis, a fitted line was drawn to obtain the endpoint titers. Results: The titration error rate (no. of errors/total no.) of LST using a regression line was lower than that of SWT (31/710 [4.4%] and 152/674 [22.6%], respectively; P <.000000001), with serial dilution as a reference. When comparing a regression line using 3 dilution points with a line using 2 dilution points, the error rate of the former was not significantly different from that of the latter (31/710 [4.4%] and 31/746 [4.2%], respectively; P =.842). Conclusions: This LST method is useful as an accurate, cost-effective, and rapid approach to measure endpoint titers in routine ANA testing.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 469-477 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Laboratory Medicine |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Anti-nuclear antibody testing
- Automated system
- Endpoint titer
- Fluorescence intensity
- Serial dilution
- Systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease