This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by López-Hoyos, M Articles by Rodríguez-Valverde, V Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by López-Hoyos, M Articles by Rodríguez-Valverde, V Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Clinical disease activity and titers of anti-dsDNA antibodies measured by an automated immunofluorescence assay in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Division of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain, inmlhm{at}humv.es

R Cabeza

Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

V M Martínez-Taboada

Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

J Crespo

Division of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

D SanSegundo

Division of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

R Blanco

Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

H López-Escribano

Division of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

M Peña

Division of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

V Rodríguez-Valverde

Division of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

Autoantibodies specific for double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA Abs) are a serological biomarker of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and constitute useful tools for monitoring many SLE patients. A new automated immunofluorescence and quantitative assay (EliA dsDNA) has recently become available. Its performance has been demonstrated to be equivalent to the Farr and Crithidia luciliae fluorescence (CLIFT) tests. The aim of the present work was to assess the utility of this new assay to monitor clinical activity in a large cohort of SLE patients. To this end, 1020 sera from 181 SLE patients were evaluated by the two methods. Results showed a higher frequency of positive results of anti-dsDNA Abs during lupus flares measured by EliA dsDNA than by CLIFT. Likewise, titers of those Abs were significantly increased in active SLE in comparison with inactive SLE when measured by EliA dsDNA but not by CLIFT. Serum titers of anti-dsDNA Abs by both assays showed a significant negative association with concentrations of C3 and C4. In summary, this retrospective study on a large cohort of patients demonstrated that EliA dsDNA was at least as useful as CLIFT as monitoring tool in the follow-up of SLE patients, but with the advantages of being automated, quick and quantitative.

Key Words: anti-dsDNA antibodies • immunofluorescence • nephritis • SLEDAI

Lupus, Vol. 14, No. 7, 505-509 (2005)
DOI: 10.1191/0961203305lu2130oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A Becker-Merok, C Nikolaisen, and H C Nossent B-lymphocyte activating factor in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in relation to autoantibody levels, disease measures and time Lupus, September 1, 2006; 15(9): 570 - 576. [Abstract] [PDF]