INOVA Diagnostics is proud to be a provider of P.A.C.E.® (Professional Acknowledgement for Continuing Education). Credits are administered under the auspices of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

We are happy to accommodate large or small groups and offer two exciting programs.

This discussion covers both ANAs in systemic rheumatic disease (SRD) and ANCAs associated with vasculitis. The discussion on SRD includes interpretation of ANAs by indirect immunofluorence (IIF) and the subsequent identification of the specific autoantibodies, including Sm, RNP, SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, Scl-70, Jo-1, centromere and more. Emphasis is placed on the components of the assay leading to variations within and between laboratories using similar, as well as different assays for identification of autoantibodies. The ANCA discussion includes the differentiation of cANCA, pANCA, and atypical ANCA. The clinical usefulness of all the auoantibodies is presented as well.

Objectives:

1. Relate fluorescent ANA patterns to the specific autoantibody.
2. Associate the linkage of autoantibodies in the ANA profile.
3. Identify important variables in the different assays used for autoantibody identification.
4. Differentiate cANCA, pANCA, and atypical ANCAs.

This seminar discusses the use of autoantibody profiles in the diagnosis of the systemic rheumatic diseases. The clinical, as well as laboratory observations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), systemic sclerosis (SSc), Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and polymyositis/Dermatomyositis (PM/DM) are presented. A discussion of the various techniques used in identification antibodies including ANA, dsDNA, chromatin, Sm, RNP, SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, Scl-70, centromere, Jo-1 and CCP is included. Also a brief discussion of ANCAs including cANCA, pANCA and atypical ANCA is included.

Objectives:

1. Identify the autoantibodies included in the ANA profile.
2. Recognize the complex nature of the antigens eliciting the immune response in patients with autoimmune disease.
3. Discuss the most common techniques used for the detection of the specific autoantibodies characteristic of SLE, RA, MCTD, SSc, SS, PM/DM.
4. Differentiate cANCA, pANCA and atypical ANCAs.