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In a review that examines the use of conventional and orphan autoantibodies as biomarkers for diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), researchers say the science is advancing rapidly with the goal of diagnosing lupus earlier than currently done.
The review, by researchers with the University of Calgary in Canada, was published online August 9 in the journal Lupus.
“The use of autoantibodies holds promise to predict the onset, phenotypes, remissions, exacerbations and prognosis of SLE,” the authors state.
While the use of conventional and orphan autoantibodies have already improved the diagnostic accuracy in lupus, much more needs to be done, particularly in diagnosing early disease. “Meaningful prospective studies of autoantibodies are required, but to do so requires careful consideration of the cohorts that should be studied, which autoantibodies and clinical parameters will be measured, and which immunoassays will be used to measure them with anticipation that genomic, epigenomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies can add value to the predictive
power of autoantibodies,” the authors wrote.
THE REVIEW
The authors reviewed the various autoantibodies and their know roles in systemic lupus erythematosus as well as present a p-value matrix designed to improve the accuracy of predicting lupus early.
Circulating autoantibodies directed against a multitude of intracellular and extracellular components are the hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus. Through decades of rigorous study, the pathogenic role of autoantibodies against extracellular targets has been revealed while intracellular mechanisms remain elusive.
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