[Rinsho Byori 51 : 637〜638, 2003]

Latest Information about Autoantibodies and their Testing
- Chairmen's Introductory Remarks -

Toshiyuki OTA, MD, PhD*1 and Hiroshi SAKAI, PhD*2

Autoantibody tests have been widely used in the diagnosis and management of patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. Misuses of these autoantibodies, however, have occasionally taken place in clinical medicine, leading to misdiagnosis, inadequate therapy, and wasted health care expenses.
In this symposium, we discussed recent progress in autoantibodies and the present status of autoantibody testing, trying to determine their proper role in the care of patients with systemic autoimmune disease.

*1Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu 807-8555