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Positivity for anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) IgG antibody is a diagnostic criterion of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The presence of the anti-dsDNA IgG antibody is identified by IFA titer (Crithidia luciliae indirect fluorescent test [CLIFT]).
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe rheumatic autoimmune disease with various clinical manifestations. Anti-dsDNA antibodies are an important immunological hallmark of SLE and their occurrence represents a major criterion for the diagnosis.
[The absence of anti-dsDNA, however, does not exclude a diagnosis of lupus.] The presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies often suggests more serious lupus, such as lupus nephritis (kidney lupus). When the disease is active, especially in the kidneys, high amounts of anti-DNA antibodies are usually present.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) CBC provides information about the red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), and platelet counts, and health of RBCs, all of which may be abnormal in lupus and may need treatment. Common issues are: Low RBC (hematocrit, hemoglobin). A normal hematocrit is 35-40%, hemoglobin 11.5-15.0.
While a positive ANA test is seen in about 95% of lupus cases, it may be seen in many other conditions as well. The anti-dsDNA test is fairly specific for lupus; however, only 65-85% of people with lupus may be positive; that is, a negative anti-dsDNA does not rule out lupus.
Interpretation: A NORMAL result is < 10 IU/mL (NEGATIVE). An EQUIVOCAL result is 10 – 15 IU/mL. A POSITIVE result is > 15 IU/mL The results obtained by this method should serve as an aid to diagnosis and should not be interpreted as diagnostic in itself.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Sjögren’s syndrome — a disease that causes dry eyes and mouth.
- Scleroderma — a connective tissue disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis — this causes joint damage, pain, and swelling.
- Polymyositis — a disease that causes muscle weakness.
A high level of anti-dsDNA in the blood is strongly associated with lupus and is often significantly increased during or just prior to a flare-up. When the anti-dsDNA is positive and the person tested has other clinical signs and symptoms associated with lupus, it means that the person tested likely has lupus.
The anti-dsDNA (anti-double stranded DNA) antibody test is a blood test that looks for antibodies to double stranded DNA. The anti-dsDNA antibody test is a very specific test for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) because Anti-dsDNA antibodies aren’t found in any other autoimmune disorders.
Reference Range: <30.0 IU/mL Negative 30.0 – 75.0 IU/mL Borderline >75.0 IU/mL Positive Negative is considered normal.
No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.
- Cutaneous lupus, a form of lupus that is limited to the skin.
- Drug-induced lupus, a lupus-like disease caused by certain prescription drugs.
- Neonatal lupus, a rare condition that affects infants of women who have lupus.
The ANA test is not a specific test for lupus. However, it is sensitive and does detect these antibodies in 97 percent of people with the disease.
So, is RA Worse than Lupus? To answer the original question, neither disease is “worse” than the other, but they are different, and require treatment accordingly. Patients with each diagnosis can have a mild or severe form of either disease.
| ACR criteria[1,2] | SLICC criteria |
|---|---|
| (4 of 11 criteria)* | (4 of 17 criteria, including at least 1 clinical criterion and 1 immunologic criterion;¶ OR biopsy-proven lupus nephritisΔ) |
| Discoid rash | Chronic cutaneous lupus |
| Nonscarring alopecia | |
| Oral ulcers | Oral or nasal ulcers |
With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease. However, for the majority of people living with the disease today, it will not be fatal.
Borderline lupus, which can also be known as unspecified connective tissue disease, or probable lupus, or latent lupus, would define a patient who may have a positive ANA without a DNA or Smith antibody (blood tests used to diagnose lupus), who has arthralgias rather than arthritis, a brain fog or memory loss, and no …
A lupus “flare” or “flare up” is when your lupus symptoms worsen and you feel ill as a result. The formal definition of a flare is: A measurable increase in disease activity in one or more organ systems involving new or worse clinical signs and symptoms and/or lab measurements.
Weight changes — Lupus can sometimes cause weight loss or weight gain. Weight loss may be unintentional and due to decreased appetite or problems with the digestive system (see ‘Digestive system’ below). It can also be a side effect of some medications used to treat lupus.
Lupus nephritis occurs when lupus autoantibodies affect structures in your kidneys that filter out waste. This causes kidney inflammation and may lead to blood in the urine, protein in the urine, high blood pressure, impaired kidney function or even kidney failure.
Lupus can be hard to diagnose because it has many symptoms that are often mistaken for symptoms of other diseases. Many people have lupus for a while before they find out they have it. If you have symptoms of lupus, tell your doctor right away. No single test can tell if a person has lupus.
The problem with anti-dsDNA ELISAs is that they often give false-positive results due to binding of immune complexes (with negatively charged moieties) to the pre-coat intermediates (10,11).
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by high-titer serological autoantibodies, including antibodies that bind to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA).
Remember, a positive ANA does not equal an autoimmune disease. But also remember that if it is determined that you do have an autoimmune disease, there are treatment options for it. So if you have a positive ANA, don’t panic.
Results. The presence of antinuclear antibodies is a positive test result. But having a positive result doesn’t mean you have a disease. Many people with no disease have positive ANA tests — particularly women older than 65.
The new criteria require that the test for antinuclear antibody (ANA) must be positive, at least once, but not necessarily at the time of the diagnosis decision because an ANA can become negative with treatment or remission.
Definition. The antinuclear antibody panel is a blood test that looks at antinuclear antibodies (ANA). ANA are antibodies produced by the immune system that bind to the body’s own tissues. The antinuclear antibody test looks for antibodies that bind to a part of the cell called the nucleus.
The presence of anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies defines a subset of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome who have systemic clinical manifestations including vasculitis, hematologic abnormalities, and serologic hyperreactivity.
Abstract. Although anti-Smith (Sm) antibody is a highly specific antibody for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the significance of anti-Sm antibody in patients with SLE is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between anti-Sm antibodies and disease activity in patients with new-onset SLE.
dsDNA is the double stranded DNA whereas ssDNA is the single stranded DNA, and although both of them carry genetic material they have a number of differences (Table 1). Table 1. Differences between dsDNA and ssDNA.
In this anti-ds test, antibodies and colour modifications are utilised to identify the foreign substances. The DNA test procedure involves the collection of the blood sample that would be added to the test apparatus containing antigens.
High-titer antichromatin antibody is associated with proliferative class IV of lupus nephritis.
Lupus affects everyone somewhat differently, and symptoms tend to come and go. Because of this, it can take months or even years for a doctor to make a confident diagnosis.
Systemic lupus erythematosus can be difficult to diagnose: no single blood or imaging test can definitively identify it, and its symptoms can be vague, progress slowly, change, or mimic other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. As a result, it’s important to consult a rheumatologist.
Lupus can also cause inflammation in the joints, which doctors call “inflammatory arthritis.” It can make your joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen. Lupus arthritis most often affects joints that are farther from the middle of your body, like your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes.