ANTICENTROMERE AUTOANTIBODIES - EVALUATION OF AN ELISA USING RECOMBINANT FUSION PROTEIN CENP-B AS ANTIGEN

Objective. To evaluate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) fo r anticentromere autoantibodies (ACA). Methods. Sera from 611 patients with scleroderma, CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasias), Raynaud's disease, and connective tissue disease control patients were studied by ELISA using the fusion protein CENP-B, by immunofluorescence on dividing HEp-2 ce lls, and by immunoblotting on chromosomes and CENP-B. Results. Compare d with immunofluorescence, the CENP-B ELISA sensitivity was 94% and th e specificity was 93%. In 19.7% of the cases, there was a probability of a false-positive result and in 1.9%, a probability of a false-negat ive result, yielding positive and negative predictive values of 0.80 a nd 0.98, respectively. Conclusion. The CENP-B ELISA is a sensitive and specific assay for ACA.