Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are important serum markers in the diagnosis of a variety of autoimmune diseases(AID), especially ANA-associated rheumatic diseases (AARD). Indirect immunofluorescence assay using HEp-2 cells as substrate is an important method for the detection of ANA, which is considered as the reference method for ANA detection by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European Autoimmunity Standardization Initiative (EASI). The first meeting for the International Consensus on Antinuclear antibody Pattern (ICAP) was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 28, 2014. During the conference, a consensus on the nomenclature of staining patterns observed in the antinuclear antibody (ANA) indirect immunofluorescence test on HEp-2 cells was established by 66 experts representing 15 countries. The second meeting for the ICAP was held in Dresden, Germany, on 22 September 2015, and achieved a consensus regarding the reporting ANA test results. It is helpful to improve the quality of ANA testing in China and give full play to the value of ANA in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of AID, by careful interpretation and promotion of the international consensus on standardized indirect immunofluorescence nomenclature of antinuclear antibody HEp-2 cell patterns and reporting ANA results.(Chin J Lab Med, 2016, 39: 804-810)

Antibodies, antinuclear; Cell line; Fluorescent antibody technique, indirect; Models, biological