Toward a new autoantibody diagnostic orthodoxy: understanding the bad, good and indifferent

Rapid advances in diagnostic technologies used to detect autoantibodies have made it difficult for even the most modern laboratory to keep abreast of the changing approaches and platforms, not to mention the clinicians who are hard pressed to keep abreast of evolving diagnostic paradigms attended by these newer techniques. While autoantibody testing is traditionally considered to be primarily serving the realm of diagnostic medicine, there is little doubt that autoantibodies are also being recognized as an approach to providing prognostic and therapeutic information. Accordingly, along with related proteomics, genomics and metabolomics, it is taking on increasing importance in the realm of personalized medicine. In today’s world of autoantibody diagnostics, overarching concerns about false-negative and false-positive autoantibodies tests cannot be summarily dismissed by citing pros or cons of any one technology or diagnostic platform, but often point to persisting gaps in our knowledge about, and understanding of, the origin and roles of autoantibodies. Before we can hope to completely understand the enigmas that attend the results of autoantibody diagnostic tests, perhaps it is time to step back and re-examine long-accepted paradigms and beliefs. This review will address some of the issues that impact on autoantibody detection technologies and some of the considerations and issues that will attend a new orthodoxy of autoantibody diagnostics. These issues will be addressed in the context of “bad” (pathogenic), “good” (protective) or “indifferent” (no apparent role in disease) autoantibodies.