Evaluation of anti-DS DNA antibodies in anti-nuclear antibody positive Omani patients

ABSTRACT

To study the correlation between enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and immunofluoresencent [IF] anti-dsDNA antibody measurement in different diseases. One hundred and forty sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE, n=40], rheumatoid arthritis [RA, n=30], disease control [n=40] and from healthy control subjects [n=30] were included. Using the ELISA, serum anti-dsDNA was detected in 24/40 [60%] SLE, 5/30 [16.6%] RA, 9/40 [22.5%] disease controls and 1/30 [3.3%] of normal healthy controls. When IF assay was employed, anti-dsDNA antibodies were detected in 16/40 [40%] SLE, 3/30 [10%] RA, 5/40 [12.5%] disease controls but none in the normal subjects. These results suggest that both ELISA and IF techniques can be used for the measurement of anti-dsDNA antibodies in clinical laboratories and, these antibodies are not unique to SLE