Another important consideration is the methodology by which the anti-dsDNA antibody was assessed. Most commercial labs use EIA, which is sensitive but not as specific as Farr or Crithidia assays. Many positive EIA results are negative when checked by these more specific methodologies.

No test is 100% specific and that applies to dsDNA antibody testing. A combination of negative ANA and definitely positive dsDNA test (especially at low titers) should be interpreted with caution. If that were the case, I would take into account the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings be...

Whereas it is important to be cognizant of the sensitivity and specificity of a test, other factors need to be taken into consideration when gauging the predictive value of a test in an individual patient. The predictive value of a test is determined by the sensitivity and specificity of the test an...

PART ANSWER AND PART EDITORIAL:I absolutely agree with my colleagues' answers above. Another thing that I need to add is that we also want to ensure that we diagnose our SLE patients (also RA, Sjogren's etc) as fast as we can and as accurately as we can. This may sound logical, but the fact is that ...