Blood Tests

[MarthaP]

Does anyone know anything about the blood tests for lupus??

My consultant today said all my tests are normal (she mentioned the complement test). It is my antibody ANA test that is weakly positive.

What other tests do i need to have?

[Lily]

Hi martha,

I've moved your post to the Tests and Procedures forum. Here you will find many links explaining the various blood tests used to help diagnose and monitor lupus. They are pinned at the top of this forum.

love
Lily

[Maia]

Generally speaking, the tests usually run are:
(1) ANA
(2) Sed Rate
(3) all the other antibodies if ANA is signifcantly positive: includes the ENA's (ssA/ssB, anti-ds-dna, anti-Smith, anti-RNP), possibly the rheumatoid factor, anti-cardiolipins, lupus anticoagulant, and others depending on symptoms)
(4) complement levels: c3, c4 and c50
(5) urine test to check for protein
(6) CBC to check for other symptoms of active lupus like low White Blood Cell counts, low platelets, etc. Some blood tests can also be used to check on kidney function including creatinine.

For you, a weakly positive ANA is probably low titre like 1:40, or maybe 1:80. At low positive levels, many doctors will not order the other antibody tests.

[MarthaP]

When I was diagnosed with Raynauds 2 years ago, I had loads of tests done and the doctor said I didn't have any other conditions.

Then 2 weeks ago, I found out I had lupus. I'm assuming the lupus caused the Raynaud's so does anyone know why the lupus test would be negative 2 years ago?

[jude mack]

Hi Martha

Sometimes bloods don't show autoimmune problems right away. They become positive as lupus progresses. Also you can have a neg. ANA and still have lupus {rarely} but it does happen. Blood tests are only part of the dx, your symptoms count for allot. Did she say your compliments where low? Compliments show disease activity, I could be wrong about that, but that's what my rheumy checks for all the time. Hope this helps a bit.

Hugs Jude:)

[Lily]

HI Martha,

I think I developed Raynauds about 10 years before it was known I had lupus. My symptoms slowly progressed over that 10 years until they seriously started investigating me. Even then it took 2 1/2 yrs for bloods to show enough for them to say that I definitely had it.

It wasnt the fact I wasnt ill, it was the fact they werent sure exactly WHAT was causing my problems. I returned a low positive ANA at first too, but that can be from several things, not necessarily autoimmune. It wasnt until other tests started showing up whacky, the ANA increased, and they had seen a lot of my disease progression that it convinced them. Each doc is different in what they require to be absolutely sure.

Are you doubting the diagnosis? Was it made by a Rheumatologist or your GP?

love
Lily

[MarthaP]

Well..when I got diagnosed with Raynauds, I had no other symptoms. But since then, I was worried that it was caused by something else or I would develop something else. I was reading about lupus and the symptoms and started piecing together that I had alot of them. Everyone thought i was crazy (even my gp!).

My Rheumatologist diagnosed lupus but I was worried it was becasue I had put it into her head!

Do u think i need a second opinion?

[Lily]

Hi Martha,

I think if your Rheumatologist diagnosed it rather than the GP then you can rest assured she must have had good reason to diagnose it. We get more problem here with people with low positives, or no positives in blood at the time of presentation NOT being diagnosed or not even being recognised as having some kind of autoimmune connective tissue disease.

It might help ease your mind to look at the pinned notices at the top of the Not Diagnosed Section to see the criteria used to help diagnose. I'm sure when you saw her she went through and asked you a lot of questions, probably related to these things? See how many you can identify with, some of them are things we never considered connected or even worth bothering about at times, but when trying to diagnose Lupus they form a bigger picture, especially when we have a lot of them, even if your bloods did only show a low positive ANA. Symptoms mean a whole lot and also health history...........so as long as that was evaluated properly then the diagnosis is probably correct.

love
Lily