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Children's immunologist

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Antibodies to double-stranded DNA in the blood

Alexey Portnov, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024

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Normally, the concentration of antibodies to double-stranded DNA (anthy-dsDNA) in serum is less than 30 IU / ml; 30-40 IU / ml - boundary values.

Antibodies to double-stranded (native) DNA are highly specific for systemic lupus erythematosus. There is a strong correlation between the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus and the titer of antibodies to double-stranded DNA in serum. The once-detected elevated antibody titer to double-stranded DNA allows for a diagnostic, but not prognostic, conclusion. When studying the titer of antibodies to DNA in dynamics, its lack of decrease or increase is considered an unfavorable prognostic sign. Reducing the titre foreshadows remission or (sometimes) death. Antibodies may disappear upon remission of the disease.

The frequency of detection of antibodies to double-stranded DNA in the blood serum with various forms of systemic lupus erythematosus and other collagenoses

Diseases	Frequency,%
Systemic lupus erythematosus	5-55
Systemic lupus erythematosus with active kidney disease	89
Systemic lupus erythematosus with active extrarenal manifestations	56
Inactive systemic lupus erythematosus	32
Rheumatoid arthritis	0
Systemic scleroderma	0

Simultaneous detection of antinuclear antibodies in the serum (high sensitivity) and antibodies to double-stranded DNA (high specificity) is the best combination for diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

trusted-source [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]