ENA Markers
This marker is associated with non-autoimmune diseases such as COPD, Heart Disease, Infections, Cancer, etc. but it can also be associated with auto-immune diseases like inflammatory Myositis Syndrome.
What is Anti-Ro52?
THIS protein is a component of the DNA structure in our bodies (they function as a sort of glue holding together our chromosomes) and are associated with CREST syndrome.
What is CENTROMERE?
This marker is used to identify SLE patients with active lupus nephritis.
What is Anti-C1Q?
With anti-dsDNA, THIS METHODOLOGY is the 'showstopper' when positive because it makes the likelihood of SLE very high.
What is Crithidia?
This is the GOLD standard for ANA testing.
What is IFA?
This SS-Ro-antibody points to SLE/Sjogren's Syndrome and is one of the three criteria as specified in the American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria for Sjogren's Syndrome.
What is anti-Ro60?
Centromere antibodies are associated with CREST (a limited form of scleroderma, i.e., skin but not major organs are affected), whereas THIS antibody is associated with diffuse scleroderma (involving damage to major organs like kidneys and lungs).
The anti-centromere antibodies can be reflected both in the high titer ELISA test as well as a HEP-2 result with a high titer and pattern consistent with centromere. There is always more credence when two different tests are telling you the same thing as opposed to a single test result.
** False positive anti-dsDNA result is a byproduct of the very high anti-centromere antibodies—we do not normally see a false positive anti-dsDNA (by ELISA) when patients have low levels of anti-centromere antibodies, but its possible at very high levels.**
What is RNA POL III?
This proprietary marker is associated with disease activity but included on both diagnostic and monitoring panels
What is EC4d?
When there are conflicting anti-dsDNA results between Crithidia and CIA, clinical context does matter.
If there is a strong suspicion for SLE or has diagnosed SLE, this value is informing on the extent of the disease activity.
What is CIA?
This is the REGIONAL goal for Advocates.
What is 35% advocacy?
The anti-Sm/RNP assays offered by Quest are reactive to either anti-Sm or anti-RNP, meaning a patient with either or both of these antibodies would test positive on this test. The combination of Sm and RNP is not as helpful as the individual assays we perform because, as you know, anti-Sm is very __________ to SLE, so when you combine it with a less __________ marker like anti-RNP, you are diluting the __________ of the test.
What is Specificity (or specific)?
THIS MARKER is 99% specific for SLE against other CTDs (RA, Sjogren's, Scleroderma, myositis), and in SLE, it tends to be elevated in patients who have suffered from thrombotic events--a finding that has been consistent across 3 different studies with different institutions involved.
What is PC4d?
This is the methodology that dsDNA is run with in the AVISE MONITOR panel.
What is CIA?
With anti-dsDNA, if the clinician is less certain about SLE diagnosis, they should recognize the lower specificity and therefore, greater risk of a false positive with THIS METHODOLOGY.
What is CIA (vs crithidia)?
The term 'Advocates' mean that they use at least THIS NUMBER of tests per month/quarter.
What is 10 per month or 30 per quarter?
We know that the specificity of THIS MARKER is very high when patients are at a level above 80, but the odds of a false positive are greater in the equivocal range. Therefore, an equivocal result should be interpreted with caution unless there is very strong clinical evidence of scleroderma, and this is especially true when the ANA also happens to be negative. Ordinarily, you would expect a patient who has is positive for THIS MARKER to have at a minimum a positive ANA result, and typically this shows up as a nucleolar or nuclear dots on the Hep-2 pattern.
What is Anti-RNA POL III?
Although strongly associated with connective tissue diseases, THIS is not considered a "marker" for any particular disease except in the following situation: when found in isolation (ie, dsDNA antibodies and Sm antibodies are not detectable), a positive result for this is consistent with the diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease.
What is Anti-RNP?
SLE patients with THIS MARKER were significantly more likely to have had a CVA and THIS MARKER also meant that patients tended to have more severe strokes as well. There is also an increased association between THIS MARKER and stroke remained significant even when you take into account whether or not the patient had APS antibodies and the patient’s age; therefore, THIS MARKER provides additional information beyond what the APS markers can tell you.
What is PC4d?
We have two ANA methodologies in our panel because it increases the ____________ of our panel
What is Sensitivity?
Exagen was founded in this year.
What is 2002?
Anti-Jo-1 markers, including our specific assay, are generally very specific for PM/DM, but relatively insensitive. Our interpretation guide suggests that anti-Jo-1 is found in approximately 25% of patients with PM/DM. This is the main reason for the Anti-Jo-1 antibody.
What is improve the specificity of the AVISE Lupus algorithm?
APS markers IgG and IgA antibodies are more specific than IgM antibodies for THIS CONDITION i.e., IgG and IgA antibodies are more closely associated with THIS CONDITION than IgM antibodies. This is true for cardiolipins, beta-2-glycoproteins and anti-PS/PT antibodies.
What is Thrombosis?
Our data tells us THESE MARKERS are both significant predictors of activity changes in SLE, with one being the stronger disease activity measure. Therefore when both are normal or trending in the right direction, the physician can be even more confident that the patient is improving than if they just looked at just one.
BONUS: When they differ in the directions they are moving, our data suggests THIS MARKER is the more reliable marker that will better reflect the patients current and short-term disease activity path
What is EC4d & c3/c4?
BONUS: What is EC4d?
This ANA pattern is important because it is shown to be extremely rare in autoimmune connective tissue disease and fairly prevalent amoung patients who are ANA positive without autoimmune disease.
BONUS: ANA patterning is observed using this substrate.
What is Dense fine speckled pattern?
BONUS: HEp2 Human Epithelial Type 2
This is Tom's dog's name.
BONUS: His cats name.
Who is Trixie?
BONUS: Boo