[Baby hamster kidney cells as antigen for demonstration of antinuclear antibodies (author's transl)].

Baby hamster kidney cells fixed in acetone on glass slides were used as antigen for demonstration of antinuclear antibodies. Where certain storage conditions were observed (drying agent, 4 degrees C) they have kept for 12 months up to now. As regards specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and differentiation of fluorescent types the baby hamster kidney cell test appears superior to other immunofluorescence methods used (chicken erythrocytes, rat liver sections, and crithidiae). These results were obtained in 73 sera from patients with disseminated lupus erythematodes, drug-induced lupus erythematodes, discoid erythematodes, allergic vasculitis, progressive scleroderma, dermatomyositis, and 36 control sera.