Lupus erythematosus cells in serum and pleural fluid of a patient with negative fluorescent antinuclear antibody test.

The authors report here a 61-year-old male with anemia, arthritis, and pleural effusions who had lupus erythematosus (LE) cells in the pleural fluid and a strongly positive LE cell test in the blood. However, the fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA) assay performed repeatedly with the serum always had negative results, despite the use of various technics. The patient was considered to have systemic LE and responded well to treatment with corticosteroids. Although the authors could not explain the LE cell-FANA incongruity, they suggest that the LE test not be deleted from the clinical laboratories' tests.