RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Correlation between levels of DNA antibodies and clinical disease activity in SLE.
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 157
OP 159
DO 10.1136/ard.36.2.157
VO 36
IS 2
A1 Davis, P
A1 Percy, J S
A1 Russell, A S
YR 1977
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/36/2/157.abstract
AB Sera were tested from 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus followed over a period of 1 to 5 years. Antibodies to native DNA were measured and correlated retrospectively with clinical evidence of disease activity. The overall degree of correlation between the presence of DNA antibodies and evidence of disease activity was good (P less than 0-001). Of 206 sera tested, only 4 had a normal DNA antibody at a time when significant clinical activity was noted. In contrast, 34 sera had mild to moderately raised DNA antibody levels at times of clinical remission. Although DNA antibodies are a useful investigation in the monitoring of disease activity, changes in therapy should not necessarily be made on DNA antibody levels alone.