What is Lupus?
Lupus is a disease where the immune system, which normally fights off germs, starts attacking the body's own healthy cells by mistake. This can cause problems in different parts of the body, like the skin, joints, and organs. People with lupus might feel tired, have joint pain, or get rashes on their skin. Because the symptoms can be different for everyone, it can be hard to diagnose, but doctors can use tests to help find out if someone has lupus.
What is the purpose of this test?
A Lupus Autoimmune Blood Test Panel is a group of tests that help doctors find out if you have lupus, an autoimmune disease. Lupus makes your immune system attack your own body's cells, causing pain and swelling in places like your joints, skin, and organs. The panel includes tests like the Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) test, which looks for special proteins that attack your cells, and other tests that check for signs of inflammation and damage in your body.
These tests are important because lupus can be hard to diagnose. The symptoms can look like other illnesses, so doctors need to look at many different clues to figure out if you have lupus. By doing the Lupus Autoimmune Blood Test Panel, doctors can get a better picture of what is happening in your body and decide on the best treatment to help you feel better.
The Lupus Auto-Immune Blood Test Panel includes:
Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA Blood Test) Direct - An Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) blood test checks for special proteins called antibodies in your blood. These antibodies sometimes attack your own cells by mistake, which can cause autoimmune diseases. The test helps doctors find out if you have an autoimmune disease, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, by looking for these antibodies in your blood.
Complete Blood Count with Differential and Platelets (CBC) - A Complete Blood Count with Differential and Platelets (CBC) is a blood test that measures different parts of your blood. It checks your red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and more. This test helps doctors see how well your immune system is working. In autoimmune diseases like lupus, your blood cell counts might be abnormal. For example, you might have low red blood cells or low platelets. The CBC test helps doctors spot these problems and gives clues about possible autoimmune diseases. The CBC test includes:
- White Blood Cells (WBC) - The body's primary defense against disease and helps to fight infection.
- Red Blood Cells (RBC) - Responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide away from all cells. Iron deficiency will lower the RBC count.
- Hemoglobin - A chemical compound inside red cells that transports oxygen through the bloodstream to all body cells. Hemoglobin gives the red color to blood.
- Hematocrit - Measures the amount of space red blood cells take up in the blood. It is reported as a percentage.
- Neutrophils: Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cells and are created by the bone marrow to combat a wide range of inflammatory and infectious diseases.
- Lymphocytes - B-cells and T-cells are lymphocytes that fight bacteria and other pathogens in the blood. They are primarily found in the lymph system.
- Monocytes - Working alongside neutrophils, monocytes play a vital role in fighting infections and other diseases and clearing away dead or damaged cells.
- Eosinophils - White blood cells called eosinophils become activated in response to allergies and certain infections.
- Basophils - Basophils play a role in detecting infections early on, as well as aiding in wound healing and reacting to allergic responses.
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) - The average hemoglobin concentration within a red blood cell.
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) - The average hemoglobin concentration percentage within a red blood cell.
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) - The average size of red blood cells.
- Platelets - Blood cell particles associated with the forming of blood clots.
- Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) - Measures the amount of red blood cell variation in volume and size.
- Absolute Neutrophils - The absolute neutrophil count measures the number of neutrophils in your blood. Normal range is 2,500-7,000 per microliter. Counts outside this range indicate a possible condition.
- Absolute Lymphocytes - To calculate your absolute lymphocyte count, multiply your white blood cell count by the percentage of lymphocytes. This gives you the number of lymphocytes as an absolute number.
- Absolute Monocytes - The absolute monocyte count indicates the number of monocytes in the blood, helping to identify if the count is normal, high, or low.
- Absolute Eosinophils - Absolute eosinophil count measures the number of eosinophils in blood by multiplying the percentage of eosinophils in a complete blood count with the total number of white blood cells in the same count.
- Absolute Basophils - Absolute basophil count is calculated by multiplying the percentage of basophils by the total number of white blood cells in a blood sample.
Urinalysis Complete - A Urinalysis Complete is a test that checks your urine for various substances. It looks at things like the color, clarity, and concentration of your urine. It also tests for things like sugar, protein, red blood cells, and white blood cells. This test helps doctors detect health problems, such as infections, kidney disease, and diabetes. It can also provide clues about autoimmune diseases by showing how well your kidneys are working and if there are any signs of inflammation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Factor - The Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Factor test checks for a specific protein in your blood called the rheumatoid factor. High levels of this protein can indicate rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and pain in the joints. This test helps doctors diagnose rheumatoid arthritis and distinguish it from other types of arthritis.
Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Westergren - The Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Westergren test measures how quickly red blood cells settle at the bottom of a test tube over an hour. A faster rate can indicate inflammation in the body. This test helps doctors find and monitor conditions that cause inflammation, such as autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) High Sensitivity Cardiac Risk - The C-Reactive Protein (CRP) High Sensitivity Cardiac Risk test measures the level of CRP in your blood. CRP is a protein that increases when there's inflammation in the body. High levels can indicate a higher risk of heart disease. This test helps doctors assess your risk of heart problems and monitor inflammation related to conditions like autoimmune diseases.
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel - The CMP-14 is a set of 14 laboratory tests that provide information about the current status of your liver, kidneys, electrolyte levels, and acid/base balance. The test also gives information about your blood sugar and blood proteins. The CMP-14 includes:
- Glucose - Blood sugar level, the most direct test to screen for diabetes and also used in diabetes management.
- Kidney Profile
- Bun or Urea Nitrogen (BUN) - An indicator of kidney function.
- Creatinine, Serum - An indicator of kidney function.
- Bun/Creatinine Ratio - Calculated by dividing BUN by creatinine. This ratio can suggest conditions including dehydration or intestinal bleeding.
- Liver Panel
- Protein, Total - Assists in determining liver and kidney function and nutritional health.
- Albumin Serum - One of the major proteins essential for the healthy function of the liver and kidney.
- Globulin, Total - One of the major proteins that assist the blood to clot properly and also comprises infection-fighting antibodies.
- Albumin/Globulin Ratio - Calculated by dividing albumin by globulin. When paired with other test results, this ratio can assist in diagnosing various liver problems.
- Bilirubin, Total - Aids in detecting hepatitis, sickle cell, anemia, cirrhosis, alcohol, and drug abuse. High concentrations may result in jaundice.
- Alkaline Phosphatase - A protein vital in detecting bone disorders and liver disease.
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST or SGOT) - An enzyme helpful in evaluating liver function. An elevated level is an indication of hepatitis.
- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT) - An enzyme helpful in identifying liver damage. Abnormalities may represent liver disease.
- Fluids & Electrolytes
- Sodium - One of the major salts in body fluid. Sodium is important in water balance and the electrical activity of nerves and muscles.
- Potassium - Helps to control the nerves and muscles.
- Chloride - Similar to sodium, it helps to maintain the body's electrolyte balance.
- Carbon Dioxide, Total - Used to help detect, evaluate, and monitor electrolyte imbalances.
- Calcium - A mineral essential for developing and maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It is also important for the normal function of muscles, nerves, and blood clotting.
Prothrombin Time (PT) and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) - The Prothrombin Time (PT) and Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) tests measure how long it takes for your blood to clot. PT checks the clotting time for the extrinsic and common pathways, while PTT checks the intrinsic and common pathways. These tests help doctors diagnose bleeding disorders and monitor blood-thinning treatments. They can also give clues about liver function and detect problems related to autoimmune diseases.
