Advantages and disadvantages associated with the methods used to detect antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| ELISA, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. | ||
| Double diffusion (Oucterlony) | Cheap | Slow |
| High specificity | Low sensitivity | |
| Several antigens analysed simultaneously | Subjective interpretation | |
| Need for large volumes of prototype sera | ||
| Countercurrent electrophoresis | Cheap | Modest sensitivity |
| High specificity | Subjective interpretation | |
| Several antigens analysed simultaneously | Need for large volumes of prototype sera | |
| Faster than double diffusion | ||
| Passive haemagglutination | Semiquantitative | Time consuming |
| Need purified antigen | ||
| ELISA | Automated | Potential for false positives |
| Objective | Expensive | |
| Potential for quantification | ||
| High sensitivity | ||
| Potential for antibody class definition | ||
| Western blotting | High specificity | Low sensitivity |
| Time consuming | ||
| Only detects 85% of Ro positive sera | ||