Anti-dsDNA Antibodies are one of the many autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus

• Published in: F1000 research Vol. 4; no. F1000 Faculty Rev; p. 939
• Main Authors: Fu, Shu Man, Dai, Chao, Zhao, Zhenhuan, Gaskin, Felicia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England F1000Research 2015; F1000 Research Ltd
• Subjects: Autoimmunity; Etiology, Pathogenesis & Animal Models of Rheumatic Disease; Immune & Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (incl. Arthritis); Immunological Biomarkers; Review; lupus nephritis; anti-dsDNA antibodies; Systemic lupus erythematosus; autoantibodies
• ISSN: 2046-1402; 2046-1402
• DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.6875.1

Anti-dsDNA antibodies are the most studied antibodies of the lupus-related autoantibodies. The dogma is that these are the most important autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. In this review, evidence is presented to show that these antibodies (as measured by modern clinical laboratories) are not the most important autoantibodies in the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, and are of limited value in clinical correlation and in predicting disease flares. In addition, they are not likely to be the initiating autoantibodies in lupus nephritis. Thus, several pervasively held beliefs on anti-dsDNA antibodies are not valid. We suggest that anti-dsDNA antibodies should be considered as just one of the many autoantibodies associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.