Anti-streptavidin antibodies as a cause of false-positive results of streptavidin-based autoantibody assays

Interference caused by anti-streptavidin antibodies in a parathyroid hormone assay; a case report

“…So far, the reason for the formation of endogenous anti-streptavidin antibodies is unclear (7). Generally, streptavidin, produced by Streptomyces avidinii, is widely used in molecular science for protein purification and in many tests including immunoassays and immunohistochemistry (8,9).…”

“…In our case, the formation of anti-streptavidin antibodies is plausible since the patient was in direct contact with streptavidin powder likely causing the antibody formation. However, for the majority of the reported cases it remains unclear which mechanisms triggered the formation of the antibodies (7,10).…”

“…In 2013, the first case of interference by endogenous anti-streptavidin antibodies was reported, leading to a misdiagnosis of hyperthyroidism (14). More recently other reports have been published describing a similar phenomenon (7,11,13,15). Mostly, the discrepancy of clinical appearance and laboratory test values led to the final revelation of test interference, however, often after a certain time of mistreatment (e.g.…”