Center for Disease Control Diagnostic Immunology Proficiency Testing Program results for 1978.

Data from about 1,000 laboratories participating in the Diagnostic Immunology portion of the 1978 Center for Disease Control Proficiency Testing Program provided information dealing with laboratory performance and trends in testing protocols. Ninety specimens were distributed in scheduled quarterly and semiannual shipments, and five additional specimens were provided in a special survey. The specimens offered both qualitative and quantitative challenges for a wide variety of analytes which included syphilis serology, rheumatoid factor, bacterial agglutinins, hepatitis B surface antigen, immunoglobulins and other serum proteins, infectious mononucleosis, rubella, toxoplasma, antinuclear antibodies, and streptococcal exoenzymes. This paper summarizes the results of the 1978 program.