RESUMO
Various serological techniques were used to investigate the prevalence and distribution of autoantibodies in healthy Jamaicans and patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune disease. Low concentrations of autoantibodies were found in healthy Jamaicans, including thyroid (1.5 per cent ), gastric parietal cell (1.4 per cent ) and smooth muscle (11.3 per cent ). There was no significant age or sex predominance in the distribution of autoantibodies in the healthy population though autoimmune disease was more prevalent in females. Serological overlaps occurred but the comparative distributions and concentrations of autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune disease and non-autoimmune disease, and health subjects indicate that currently available methods of autoantibody determination may be used successfully in diagnosis in Jamaica. Failure to detect circulating pancreatic islet cell antibodies in insulin-dependent diabetic patients as well as in healthy Jamaicans questions the pathogenicity of these antibodies and diminished their diagnostic usefulness in this population.