Connective Tissue Diseases
Autoimmune connective tissue diseases are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterised by abnormal structure or function of one or more of the elements of the connective tissue, i.e., collagen, elastin, or the mucopolysaccharides.
At the Centre of Excellence in Freiburg, Germany, advanced techniques are used such
as recombinant gene technology to develop the latest in standardized, precice, reliable
and easy-to-use diagnostic tests.
Classically, the following diseases belong to this group:
SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus)
Scleroderma
Dermatomyositis/Polymyositis
Sjögren‘s Syndrome
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
The detection of specific autoantibodies, the so-called antinuclear antibodies (ANA),
may support the diagnosis of autoimmune connective tissue diseases and help in differential
diagnosis as well as in prognosis.
