Anti dsDNA,High Salt/Avidity

General Information

Lab Name

Anti dsDNA,High Salt/Avidity

Lab Code

DNAHS

Epic Name

Anti dsDNA, High Salt/Avidity

Description

The presence of antibodies to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in human serum is useful because of its high specificity for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which often helps to distinguish SLE from other autoimmune diseases. However, results must be considered in clinical context and a positive anti-dsDNA result is not diagnostic by itself. Measurement of these antibody levels may also provide valuable information for disease monitoring, particularly when the anti-dsDNA concentration is found to change in response to therapy. Persistently high or increasing levels of anti-dsDNA antibody are often associated with exacerbation of disease activity.

Anti-dsDNA antibodies are heterogeneous. One of the clinically relevant features of the heterogeneity is the avidity of the antibody, or how 'tightly' the antibodies bind to dsDNA. Several investigators have found that high avidity antibodies are more specific for SLE and are associated with renal involvement and more active disease.

References

Kavanaugh et al., Guidelines for immunologic laboratory testing in the rheumatic diseases: anti-DNA antibody tests. Arthritis Rheum. (2002) 47:546.

Andrejevic et al., Immunoserological parameters in SLE: high-avidity anti-dsDNA detected by ELISA are the most closely associated with the disease activity, Clin Rheumatol (2013) 32:1619.

Villalta et al., Anti-dsDNA antibody avidity determination by a simple reliable ELISA method for SLE diagnosis and monitoring, Lupus (2003) 12:31.

Components