Acta Medica Port
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Screening for autoantibodies in HEp-2 cells by indirect immunofluorescence is currently accepted as the gold-standard test for the diagnosis of systemic autoimmune diseases. The main objective of the International Consensus on ANA Patterns is to achieve a consensus on the nomenclature and description of antinuclear antibody morphological patterns. This work aims to build on the International Consensus on ANA Patterns project to establish a nomenclature consensus in Portugal, thus contributing to harmonization in autoimmune diagnosis and promoting diagnostic quality in autoimmune systemic rheumatic diseases. ⋯ This study shows that there is good potential for collaboration between laboratories in order to produce the consensus needed to improve diagnosis and patient follow-up.