[Collagen disease. Autoimmune disease].

Collagen disease is systemic autoimmune disease and consists of a lot of diseases with each clinical entity. for exact diagnosis, it is important to choose essential laboratory tests for the patient suspected of collagen disease in daily primary medical care. A guideline for the use of clinical laboratory tests for patients with collagen disease was proposed by the Japan Society of Clinical Pathology. This guideline was discussed repeatedly by subcommittee members of "the uses of clinical laboratory tests in daily primary medical care" and published on September of 1990. When the clinicians are suspected of the collagen disease from detailed history taking and physical examination, they must precisely interpret results of the essential laboratory tests. Urinalysis, hematology, ESR and CRP and Biochemistry show characteristic findings in the collagen disease, respectively. If further suspicion of the collagen disease is intensive, the clinicians proceed with the primary screening tests for collagen disease; rheumatoid factor, ANF, anti DNA antibody, LE test, STS and CH50. Finally, specific tests for each collagen disease are carried out to define the diagnosis; e.g. LE cell, anti-Sm antibody, IC, Coombs test and biopsy of kidney for SLE. This paper is presented on the intention of the guideline of clinical laboratory tests for the collagen disease and its issues. As it passed 4 years after published, this guideline should be more discussed and revised.