The Role of Immunological Tests in Monitoring Lupus Progression

Lupus is a disease in which the immune system strikes the body’s healthy cells. Lupus affects organs like skin, joints, kidneys, and the heart. Lupus symptoms are known to flare up suddenly and then disappear, so regular monitoring is essential.

This article covers what lupus disease is, lupus causes, lupus symptoms, and key information regarding the diagnosis of lupus through immunological tests.

What Is Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that persists for a long time. In this condition, the body’s immune system, which usually fights infections, becomes overactive and wrongly attacks its healthy tissues.

Due to this adverse action of the immune system, the patient suffers from inflammation and pain, in various parts of the body, such as joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain.

What Are the Different Types of Lupus?

There are several forms of lupus:

1. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): It is the most common form of lupus and can impact multiple organs.
2. Cutaneous Lupus (Discoid Lupus): In this form of lupus, the most affected area is the skin. Patients develop rashes and lesions on the body, which can worsen with sun’s exposure.
3. Drug-induced Lupus: As the name suggests, the condition is developed due to medications particularly related to treat irregular heart rhythms, blood pressure and tuberculosis. The symptoms usually improve once the intake of the drug is stopped.
4. Neonatal lupus – This is an uncommon form of the disease in which mothers with lupus pass on the disease to the infants.

What Are the Various Causes of Lupus?

Some of the most common factors causing lupus include:

1. Inheritance through genes.
2. Hormonal factors like estrogen.
3. UV light from the sun.
4. Viral infections like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

What Are the Symptoms of Lupus?

There are various symptoms of lupus based on which organ is affected. These include:

1. Joint and muscle pain.
2. Facial rash.
3. Fever.
4. Fatigue.
5. Hair loss.
6. Mouth sores.
7. Chest pain or breathing problems.

How Is Lupus Diagnosed?

In order to diagnose lupus, the doctor can perform the following tests:

1. Blood Test
   ANA (antinuclear antibody) is a key blood test to check the presence of antibodies and double stranded DNA which are common signs of lupus.
2. Urine Test
   A urine test checks the presence of protein or blood to identify if the kidney has been impacted.

While blood and urine tests can indicate high inflammation markers, these elevated levels can also be seen in other diseases. Therefore, immunological tests are further prescribed to detect antibodies that are specific only to lupus and cannot be found in other diseases.

What Are Immunological Tests?

Immunological tests are medical tests that examine how the body’s immune system works. These tests help detect problems in the immune response, such as when the body produces abnormal antibodies that attack its healthy cells.

Immunological tests are crucial in treating and managing lupus because they help detect and monitor the body’s abnormal immune response. By undertaking these lupus tests, doctors can:

1. Confirm the diagnosis of lupus by detecting antibodies that are strongly linked to the condition.
2. Track disease activity and predict flare-ups by observing changes in antibody and C3 and C4 protein levels.
3. Evaluate treatment effectiveness, as stable or decreasing antibody levels often suggest the treatment is working.
4. Determine early warning signs of lupus.

Which Are the Key Immunological Tests Used in Lupus?

Several immunological tests are commonly used in lupus care, including:

1. Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test: This immunological test is usually the first test done for lupus. Most people with lupus will test positive for ANA. However, it is not specific to lupus and can also be positive in other conditions.
2. Anti-dsDNA Antibodies Test: These antibodies are more specific to lupus. A high or rising level for this immunological test indicates the disease is actively affecting the kidneys.
3. Anti-Sm (Smith) Antibodies Test: These antibodies are strongly associated with lupus whose presence help confirm the diagnosis.
4. Complement Proteins (C3 and C4) Test: Complement proteins help control the immune system. Low levels of C3 or C4 often mean that lupus is active and causing inflammation in the body.

Lupus is a condition that affects multiple organs and requires careful, long-term management. Immunological screening is vital in diagnosing and monitoring the disease by detecting specific antibodies and immune markers. Upon noticing symptoms of lupus given here, one must consult a doctor and book a SLE (SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS) panel at Dr Lal PathLabs.

Download Dr Lal PathLab’s app to get tests done today!

FAQ

1. What is immunopathology test?
   An immunopathology test assesses the immune system’s function and identifies abnormalities or diseases related to the immune system.
2. How to check immune system health via a blood test?
   Antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests, and complete blood count (CBC) with white blood cell differential (CBC with WBC differential) are some of the tests that help check the immune system.
3. What is immunodiagnostic testing?
   Immunodiagnostic testing is a branch of diagnostic medicine that uses the immune system’s response to identify diseases. They also include immunopathology or immunology test.