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Comparison of Specificity and Sensitivity

Vijay Kumar, PhD; Elizabeth Hemedinger; Tadeusz P. Chorzelski, MD; Ernst H. Beutner, PhD; J. Edward Valeski, MS; Cezery Kowalewski, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1987;123(9):1179-1182.

Abstract
Reticulin antibodies of IgG- and IgA-class and endomysial antibodies, which are of the IgA class, were studied by indirect immunofluorescence in 30 normal subjects, and in 45 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), 31 with pemphigoid, and 30 with pemphigus. Endomysial antibodies were present in 65% of patients with DH maintained on a normal diet and were absent in those on a gluten-free diet and in those with other diseases and in normal controls. Reticulin antibodies of the IgA class were disease specific for DH and occurred in only 25% of such patients. IgG-class reticulin antibodies, on the other hand, were not specific for DH, as they occurred in similar frequencies in patients with pemphigoid and pemphigus and in normal subjects. IgA-class reticulin antibodies occurred primarily in those patients with DH who had high titers of endomysial antibodies. None of the 20 such patients who were negative for endomysial antibodies had IgA-class reticulin antibodies. These studies indicate the high degree of specificity and sensitivity of endomysial antibodies.

(Arch Dermatol 1987;123:1179-1182)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Microbiology (Drs Kumar and Beutner and Mr Valeski) and Dermatology (Drs Kumar and Beutner), State University of New York, and IF Testing Service (Drs Kumar and Beutner and Ms Hemedinger), Buffalo; and the Department of Dermatology, Warsaw Academy of Medicine (Drs Chorzelski and Kowalewski).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication March 9, 1987.

Reprint requests to Department of Microbiology, State University of New York, 219 Sherman Hall, Buffalo, NY 14214 (Dr Kumar).

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