Ovarian antibodies as detected by indirect immunofluorescence are unreliable in the diagnosis of autoimmune XXXX : a controlled evaluation.

@entity1 @entity11157 @entity2670
BACKGROUND: Ovarian antibodies as detected by indirect immunofluorescence have been used to detect @entity2670 , but to our knowledge the rate of false positive findings using this method has never been reported. METHODS: Here we examine whether a commercially available ovarian antibody test system, using cynomologous monkey ovary, might be useful in the diagnosis of autoimmune @entity11157 . The test was performed in a blinded manner in 26 young @entity1 with 46,XX spontaneous @entity11157 , in 26 control @entity1 with regular menstrual cycles (matched for age, race, and parity) and 26 control @entity1 (matched for age and race). We also compared the frequency of other autoantibodies associated with @entity2670 . RESULTS: As a group young @entity1 with @entity11157 had an increased incidence of thyroid and gastric parietal cell autoimmunity (p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, however, nearly one third (31%) of normal control @entity1 had ovarian antibodies using the commercially available test. One half of young @entity1 with @entity11157 were found to have ovarian antibodies (P = 0.26). In our own laboratory we found similar results and we were unable to improve the specificity of the test. None of 26 @entity1 were found to have ovarian antibodies (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Since approximately one third of normal @entity1 were found to have ovarian antibodies using the system under study, we conclude that ovarian antibodies as detected by this indirect immunofluorescence method have poor specificity. The specificity of any ovarian antibody test should be established before it is used clinically.
