In 2023, AINI organized the most ambitious EQAS to date. In fact, 47 Italian and foreign laboratories have been included in the current EQAS, 16 more than in the 2022 EQAS. 10 different schemes are affected by this EQAS (oligoclonal bands, anti-AQP4, anti-MOG, anti-neuronal antigens of surface, anti-onconeural antigens, anti-gangliosides, anti-MAG, anti-paranodal antigens, anti-ACHR, anti-MUSK), which involve the use of 45 adequately aliquoted biological samples.
EQAS 2023 included the following phases:
- EEM, as the organizational secretariat of AINI responsible for EQAS, sent a survey in Google format to all the Italian laboratories that are part of the AINI network. In the same survey, in addition to general participation in EQAS, each individual center was asked which schemes it wished to participate in
- Once the registrations were collected, EEM communicated to the C Mondino National Neurological Institute Neuroimmunology laboratory the number of participants, the schemes for each participant, and the addresses of the participating laboratories.
- The Mondino Institute subsequently selected the samples, preparing the aliquots and the envelopes to send to the various centers.
- EEM then coordinated through a courier the collection of all the envelopes at the Mondino Institute and their distribution to the participating centers
- Following the shipment, all the centers received an email in which each laboratory was assigned a code necessary for the final anonymous report and the link to the Google form necessary for entering the data.
- Each participating laboratory will, therefore, have to test the samples received according to the center’s practices and enter the results in the Google form before April 24th.
- The Mondino Institute will then analyze the results obtained and present them during the next AINI congress.
