[Application of the immunofluorescente (fluorescent antibody technique) in clinical immunology.--II. Application and significance (author's transl)].

The fluorescent antibody technique is nowadays mainly a technique, which is routinely carried out in all clinical-immunological laboratories. The main fields of application in clinical immunology are the determination of autoantibodies (e.g. ANA, AMA, smooth muscle antibodies, parietal cell antibodies), detection of B-lymphocytes as well as bacterial antigens (e.g. Treponema pallidum). Furthermore the demonstration of deposits of immune complexes in tissues (e.g. glomerulonephritis, periarteriitis nodosa). The presented paper shows the different fields of application of the fluorescent antibody technique. It is pointed out that the FAT could be only one out of the variety of methods in clinical-immunological investigations.