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Background: The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases. As Clinicopathological classification of autoimmune diseases is difficult without laboratory support, laboratory testing is of helps in diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prediction of the pathological changes by disease activity. Although different tests are available for ANA detection enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the mainstay of diagnosis in most routine laboratories. Indirect immunofluorescence antinuclear antibody test (IFA) though currently the "gold standard" it is not widely practiced. Most studies have used Hep2 cells for the detection of autoantibodies by IFA. However Hep 2000 Ro is superior compared to Hep 2 which lacks capability of detecting some autoantibodies like Ro antibodies. Hence, this study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic value and cost effectiveness of ANA pattern, ELISA with profile testing for patients suspected to have autoimmune disorders.

Nocardiosis is an infrequent infection that is often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed because of its nonspecific clinical picture and infrequent occurrence. Speciation of nocardiae is of clinical importance because of the differences in antibiotic susceptibility patterns and virulence among the species. High level of clinical suspicion and alertness on the part of the laboratory are often required to diagnose these infections. Cases have been reported from other parts of the country, but these are the first series of documented cases from Central Kerala.

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