Mitochondrial Antibodies (M2)
Label Mnemonic: AMA
Epic code: LAB8746
Downtime form: A-1a Doctor/Provider Orders - Pathology Core and Specialty Care Nursery
Commercial Mailout Laboratory
6240-8 RCP
356-8593
Specimen(s):
Serum
Collection Medium:
Red top tube 5 mL (Clot Activator)
Minimum:
Preferred Minimum: 0.5 mL serum
Absolute Minimum: 0.4 mL serum
Turn Around Time:
1 day upon receipt at reference laboratory
Reference Range:
Negative: <0.1 Units
Borderline: 0.1-0.3 Units
Weakly positive: 0.4-0.9 Units
Positive: > or =1.0 Units
Reference values apply to all ages.
Interpretive Data:
Positive results for antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) of M2 specificity are highly specific for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and false-negative results are rare.

A positive result for AMA of M2 specificity in a patient with clinical features of PBC is virtually diagnostic for this disease.
Comments:
Useful for: Establishing the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Cautions: The level of antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) is not useful to indicate the stage or prognosis of the disease or for monitoring the course of disease. Positive results are found (infrequently) in patients with CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal hypomotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) syndrome, relatives of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and other autoimmune diseases.

Testing performed in the Immunology Antibody Laboratory of the antimitochondrial antibody (AMA)-M2 by EIA revealed a false-positive rate of <2% in normals and overall concordance compared with indirect immunofluorescence of 90% on sera from the Mayo primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) Serum Bank. Ten discordant results were obtained (negative by EIA and positive by immunofluorescence assay). Seven of the 10 patients had no histologic evidence of PBC on liver biopsy.
Methodology:
Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA)
CPT Code:
83516