The clinical utility of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies and the challenges of their determination

Autoantibodies against double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) were first described >60 years ago and although they are still one of the most clinically relevant autoantibodies, test results may be more challenging to interpret compared to other autoantibody tests. They are a serological hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are included in both the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria for SLE. Furthermore, anti-dsDNA antibodies (a-dsDNA) have been shown to associate with SLE disease activity and coincide with renal involvement. Given their importance and long history, one might assume that immunological tests for a-dsDNA are standardized and give comparable results. However, even though there has been an international reference standard serum (the WHO Wo/80), different methods for the detection of a-dsDNA and tests from different manufacturers give different results for the same samples. This disparity is due to the diversity of possible antibodies generated to this biochemically complex antigen, which may have different clinical associations. The goal of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the clinical associations with a-dsDNA, highlight challenges in a-dsDNA testing, and elucidate the reasons for discrepant results between methods or manufacturers.