Internal Medicine

Answer 2 Anti-dsDNA antibodies. Anti-dsDNA antibodies are associated with the immunopathologic events in SLE, especially glomerulonephritis. This association has been demonstrated by correlating anti-DNA serum levels with periods of disease activity, isolating anti-DNA from glomeruli of patients with active nephritis, and inducing nephritis by administering anti-DNA antibodies to normal animals.2 The occurrence of nephritis without anti-DNA may be explained by the pathogenicity of other autoantibodies, such as anti-Ro or anti-Sm antibodies. REFERENCE 2. Shmerling RH. Autobodies in systemic lupus erythematosus—there before you know it. N Engl J Med 2003;349:1499-500. Click here to return to the questions

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