Blood-tests Explained


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This website is intended to assist with patient education and should not be used as a diagnostic, treatment or prescription service, forum or platform. Always consult your own healthcare practitioner for a more personalised and detailed opinion

Anti-dsDNA


At a Glance

Why Get Tested?

To help diagnose and monitor lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE)

When to Get Tested?

When you have a positive ANA test and signs and symptoms associated with lupus, such as persistent fatigue and weakness, arthritis-like pain in one or more joints, a red rash resembling a butterfly across the nose and cheeks, and/or skin sensitivity to light; periodically when you have been diagnosed with lupus

Sample Required?

A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm

Test Preparation Needed?

None

The Test Sample

What is being tested?

Anti-double stranded DNA antibody (anti-dsDNA) is one of a group of autoantibodies called antinuclear antibodies (ANA). Normally, antibodies protect against infection, but autoantibodies are produced when a person's immune system fails to adequately distinguish between "self" and "non-self." They mistakenly attack the body's own healthy cells, causing tissue and organ damage. Anti-dsDNA specifically targets the genetic material (DNA) found in the nucleus of a cell, hence the name "anti-dsDNA." The anti-dsDNA test identifies the presence of these autoantibodies in the blood.

While anti-dsDNA may be present at a low level with a number of disorders, it is primarily associated with lupus. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder that can affect various tissues and/or organs of the body such as the kidneys, joints, blood vessels, skin, heart, lungs, and the brain. (For more on this, read the article on Lupus). The test for anti-dsDNA, along with other autoantibody tests, may be used to help establish a diagnosis of lupus and distinguish it from other autoimmune disorders.

One serious complication of lupus is lupus nephritis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the kidneys, which can lead to protein in the urine, high blood pressure, and kidney failure. It occurs when the autoantibodies bind to antigens and become deposited in the kidneys. In the evaluation of someone with lupus nephritis, a high level (titer) of anti-dsDNA is generally associated with ongoing inflammation and damage to the kidneys.  

How is the sample collected for testing?

A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm.

Is any test preparation needed to ensure the quality of the sample?

No test preparation is needed.

The Test