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Background
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Systemic autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of circulating auto-antibodies directed to a wide variety of cellular antigens. Systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), commonly referred to as Lupus is the best known of these diseases. Other possible connective tissue diseases include mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), Sjogren syndrome, scleroderma, and polymyositis/dermatomyositis. The majority can be diagnosed by clinical presentation and their antibody profiles to the various antigens involved, which include dsDNA, Sm, RNP, Ro, La, Scl-70, Jo-1 and Histones. Therefore, immunoassays for autoantibodies are useful for diagnostic and prognostic evaluations of autoimmune disease.
Mitochondria (M2) antigen is part of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Approximately 90-95% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have antibodies to M2. Antimitochondria antibodies occur occasionally in other liver conditions and scleroderma. The antibody is rarely seen in other conditions. Classically, antibodies to autoimmune antigens are detected by double immunodiffusion. However, the test is lengthy and suffers from weak sensitivity. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs) combine greater sensitivity with ease of use. Many ELISAs have been developed and validated for detecting autoantibodies to various antigens.
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