New Diagnostic Test for Lupus

A new screening test for systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) is being hailed as the first significant diagnostic breakthrough for SLE in more than four decades. The test has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Although the majority of lupus patients produce antibodies to their own tissue that can be detected with a blood test, those who do not make such antibodies often go undiagnosed. Also, because symptoms range from skin rash and mild fatigue to organ failure, making diagnosis difficult. The new test was developed by Mark Roth, M.D., a member of the basic sciences division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Seattle, WA, USA). Dr. Roth and colleagues discovered that moleccules called CR proteins are useful biomarkers for lupus because the majority of patients produce antibodies to them. The new test, called the Anti-SR protein antibody assay, detects the presence of SR proteins in serum.

"This test will improve the ability of doctors to make correct decisions when diagnosing SLE, and we also have evidence that this test is of value in determining where in the body the disease will present itself,” said Dr. Roth, who is also an associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine.




Related Links:
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center