Antinuclear antibodies

Abstract

ANAs are important serologic markers of the rheumatic diseases, although their role in pathogenesis has been difficult to conceptualize because their target antigens are ubiquitous among cells and seemingly well protected in the cell interior. Future directions of research will include the identification of ANA specificities most highly correlated with disease manifestations and the development of immunoassays that provide more accurate information for assessing diagnosis, prognosis, and pathogenicity.