Utility of repeat extractable nuclear antigen antibody testing: a retrospective audit
Authors' conclusion
Repeat ENA test results rarely change or result in a new diagnosis of an AARD, with repeated testing only warranted if there is a change in clinical manifestations.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with ENA tests in a multicentre tertiary health network, Melbourne, Australia, 29 July 2013 to 28 September 202023,438 ENA tests
- Participants
- 19,603 patients
- Outcome
- Utility of repeat ENA testing after an initial negative result
Methodological detailsaudit, single multicentre tertiary health network
- Audit
- Single multicentre tertiary health network
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Repeat ENA testing
Patients with >1 ENA test
2636 of 19 603
13.4%
Stable ENA results vs first test (among repeat-tested)
2523, 95.7%
ENA result changed negative to positive
53
2.2%
New ANA-associated rheumatic disease (AARDs) among remaining 34 patients (excluding pre-existing rheumatic conditions and age <18)
5
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
All ENA test results
- Negative tests
- 20 918 (89.2%)
- Equivocal tests
- 215 (0.9%)
- Positive tests
- 2305
- Most common specificity among positive tests: anti-Ro52
- 1185, 51.4%
Original publication
Utility of repeat extractable nuclear antigen antibody testing: a retrospective audit. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 2 August 2022. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →