%0 Journal Article %A S Khan %A A Alvi %A S Holding %A M L Kemp %A D Raine %A P C Doré %A W A C Sewell %T The clinical significance of antinucleolar antibodies %D 2008 %R 10.1136/jcp.2007.049692 %J Journal of Clinical Pathology %P 283-286 %V 61 %N 3 %X Background: The importance of antinucleolar antibodies seen by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells, although associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc), in unselected patients is unknown.Aims: To determine the true clinical significance of antinucleolar antibodies in an unselected patient population.Methods: Antinucleolar antibody (ANoA) positive samples were identified in the immunology laboratory during routine autoimmune screening tests; case notes were reviewed using a standard proforma.Results: 104 patients with ANoA were identified and ANoA+ samples were subclassified into homogeneous, clumpy and speckled antinucleolar types. SSc was evident in only two (1.8%) patients. Other connective tissue diseases were identified in 33 patients (32%); 22 patients (21%) had evidence of various malignancies. Both disordered liver function and anaemia were seen in 22 patients and were the commonest laboratory abnormalities.Conclusions: Neither the presence nor subtype of ANoA is specific for systemic sclerosis. Laboratory comments appended to results should reflect this fact. %U https://jcp.bmj.com/content/jclinpath/61/3/283.full.pdf