Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

SLESLE is a multi-system, autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology. Patients present with a variety of clinical symptoms involving inflammation of tissues and organs e.g. skin, joints and kidneys. Depending on the extent of tissue damage, SLE can range from being a relatively benign disorder to chronic clinical disease and can even lead to life threatening organ dysfunction.

Diagnostic Criteria

Diagnosis of SLE can be difficult as patients present with a broad range of symptoms. There are universally accepted criteria, devised by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), to aid this diagnosis. The classification has eleven criteria which combine clinical symptoms with abnormalities detected by blood tests. During a period of observation a patient meeting four out of the eleven criteria would satisfy the ACR criteria of SLE diagnosis.

There are 11 ACR criteria of which criteria 10 and 11 refer to serological autoantibody testing:

ACR Criteria 10.

These include abnormal titre of antibodies to:

  1. double stranded DNA (dsDNA)
  2. Sm nuclear antigen
  3. phospholipids such as cardiolipin

ACR Criteria 11.

Positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) by immunofluorescence or equivalent testing.

Clinical Significance of Autoantibodies

Detection of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) forms one of the most sensitive serological ACR criteria. More than 95% of patients with SLE have an elevated ANA titre at some point during the course of their disease. Anti-dsDNA and anti-Sm antibodies are specific disease markers. More SLE patients have detectable antibodies to dsDNA (40-80%) compared to anti-Sm antibodies (5-30%). For this reason, anti-dsDNA antibodies are preferred as a screening marker.

SLE Protocol

Ordering Information

BINDAZYME

Description Pack Code
Anti-dsDNA EIA 96 test MK017
FARRZYME™ High avidity anti-dsDNA EIA 96 test MK072
ANA screening EIA 96 test MK200
Anti-Sm ENA EIA 96 test MK305
Anti-ENA profile EIA 12 test MK300
Anti-Cardiolipin IgG EIA 96 test MK027
Anti-Cardiolipin IgM EIA 96 test MK029
Anti-Cardiolipin IgG/IgM COMBI EIA 96 test MK071

A comprehensive ENA product range is available.

Description Well Code
HEp-2 IFA kits

10 x 5

25 x 10

20 x 12

100 x 12

FK001.1

FK001.2

FK001.6

FK001.7
HEp-2 IFA individual slides

10 x 5

25 x 10

100 x 10

20 x 12

100 x 12

100 x 24

FS001.1

FS001.2

FS001.3

FS001.6

FS001.7

FS001.5
Crithidia luciliae (dsDNA) IFA kits

10 x 5

25 x 10

FK002.1

FK002.2
Crithidia luciliae (dsDNA) individual slides

10 x 5

25 x 10

100 x 10

FS002.1

FS002.2

FS002.3

 

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