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Get answers with our comprehensive lupus testing portfolio

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus

With our comprehensive lupus testing portfolio, Labcorp can help support the entire lupus patient journey—from diagnosis to prognosis, treatment and disease monitoring.

 

 

Comprehensive testing for lupus and related autoimmune syndromes

Lupus affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States.1 Patients may present with variable clinical systemic manifestations that can imitate other chronic autoimmune diseases, often leading to diagnostic delays or misdiagnosis.

Labcorp can deliver accurate and early information to inform decisions on diagnosis, treatment and symptom management to help improve patient outcomes. Our comprehensive tests and services help distinguish between SLE and other complex autoimmune disorders across all stages of the patient journey.

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Enable early intervention and improve outcomes for your patients

Diagnostic testing for lupus

Lupus can be difficult to recognize, as various clinical symptoms may develop at different disease stages and may not occur simultaneously.2 Reducing the delay from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment of lupus can help suppress inflammation and prevent irreversible organ damage.3

Labcorp's profiles combine multiple autoantibody tests, utilizing various methodologies to help providers with the diagnosis of lupus.

Lupus Diagnosis

Lupus Diagnostic Profile

Labcorp’s Lupus Diagnostic Profile includes highly specific lupus markers to support the diagnosis of SLE:
 

  • ANA by IFA
  • Anti-dsDNA by Farr
  • Anti-Sm
  • Anti-U1 RNP
  • Anti-Ro (SS-A)
  • Anti-La (SS-B)
  • Anti-Chromatin
  • C3 and C4 Complements
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Lupus Diagnosis

Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Testing

Antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing can aid in the differential diagnosis of various autoimmune disease states: SLE, drug-induced SLE, mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), Sjögren syndrome, limited scleroderma (CREST), diffuse scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and autoimmune thyroid disease.

Labcorp offers ANA by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) testing to support initial screening and diagnosis. A positive ANA result may occur in healthy individuals (low titer) or be associated with a variety of diseases. With both comprehensive diagnostic profiles and monospecific assays for individual autoantibodies, we can provide diagnostic and potential prognostic utility for several autoimmune diseases.

Learn more in our literature: Antinuclear Antibodies Testing Options in Rheumatology 

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Assess the likely course and outcome of your patient's journey

Prognostic testing for lupus

The prognosis of lupus can be variable, depending on disease severity and organ involvement. As part of our comprehensive portfolio, our prognostic tests can support healthcare providers and their patients across the chronic autoimmune disease journey.

Lupus Prognosis

Lupus Prognostic Profile

The Labcorp Lupus Prognostic Profile can assess patient prognosis, including nephritis, neuropsychiatric, thrombotic and other cardiovascular risk. Our profile includes the following components:
 

  • Anti-C1q Ab, IgG
  • Anti-Ribosomal P Ab
  • Anti-Cardiolipin Ab IgG
  • Anti-Cardiolipin Ab IgA
  • Anti-Cardiolipin Ab IgM
  • Anti-Beta2 Glycoprotein I IgG
  • Anti-Beta2 Glycoprotein I IgA
  • Anti-Beta2 Glycoprotein I IgM
  • Anti-PS/PT Ab IgG
  • Anti-PS/PT Ab IgM
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Evaluate your patient's response and help predict flares

Monitoring testing for lupus  

Lupus Monitoring

Lupus Monitor Profile

Labcorp’s Lupus Monitor Profile can help providers observe disease activity while identifying the risk of lupus nephritis. Our profile includes the following components:
 

  • C3
  • C3a
  • C4
  • C4a
  • Anti-dsDNA Ab by Crithidia luciliae, IFA
  • Anti-C1q Ab, IgG
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Optimize management of your lupus patients

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) options

Treatment options for lupus are limited and often include azathioprine, hydroxychloroquine and methotrexate. Therapeutic drug monitoring can not only support ongoing lupus patient management and identify compliance, but it can also help identify targets for clinical benefit.4

Therapeutic drug monitoring

Hydroxychloroquine, Whole Blood

To evaluate lupus and other autoimmune patients on daily hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Labcorp offers whole blood HCQ testing to help assess daily dosage, improve adherence and reach the maximal clinical benefit.

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Therapeutic drug monitoring

Methotrexate Polyglutamates

Methotrexate (MTX) is subject to wide pharmacokinetic variability. About 30% of patients do not respond to MTX treatment or experience adverse effects.5 Testing for methotrexate polyglutamates (MTX PGs) can help assess patient compliance and determine correct dosing to achieve therapeutic levels and clinical response.6

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Therapeutic drug monitoring

Thiopurine Metabolites, Thiopurine Methyltransferase (TPMT) Genotyping, Thiopurine Methyltransferase (TPMT), Enzyme Activity, Erythrocytes

To evaluate lupus and other autoimmune patients on daily hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), Labcorp offers whole blood HCQ testing to help assess daily dosage, improve adherence and reach the maximal clinical benefit.

Once thiopurine therapy (e.g., azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine) has been undertaken and an equilibrated drug level is achieved (usually three to six months), thiopurine-related testing may be used to assess dosing before and during treatment, as well as to identify patients who may be at risk for drug toxicity.7

The FDA-approved label recommends testing consideration for the most common TPMT gene mutations (genotype) or TPMT activity (phenotype) before beginning treatment due to potentially severe bone marrow toxicity.

Learn more about each test:

Want to Speak to your Labcorp Representative?
 

Rheumatology Services Hotline: 800-338-1918

Vectra® Customer Service: 877-743-8639

Related testing for lupus

Additional tests

NumberName
520059Anti-dsDNA (Double-stranded) Ab by Farr method (RDL)
520313Anti-Dense Fine Speckled Protein 70 kDa (DFS70) Ab
520301Anti-ENA6 Plus DFS70Ab Profile
504400Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), Comprehensive (Esoterix)
520293Vasculitis Profile (RDL)

Complement options

NumberName
161414Complement C2
006452Complement C3
004220Complement C3a
001834Complement C4
004330Complement C4a
001941Complement, Total (CH50)

 

Access Labcorp’s comprehensive autoimmune portfolio

Autoimmune diseases commonly share clinical manifestations, similar subphenotypes and non-specific autoantibodies.8 To help rheumatologists and primary care providers differentiate between autoimmune states and obtain an accurate diagnosis, Labcorp offers a comprehensive suite of autoimmune testing profiles.

 

References

  1. Lupus Foundation of America. Lupus Facts and Statistics. https://lupusgreaterohio.org/lupus-facts-and-statistics/. Accessed May 2, 2023.
  2. Kuhn A, Bonsmann G, Anders HJ, Herzer P, Tenbrock K, Schneider M. The diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2015 Jun 19;112(25):423-32.
  3. Md Yusof MY, Vital EM. Early intervention in systemic lupus erythematosus: time for action to improve outcomes and health-care utilization. Rheumatol Adv Pract. 2021 Dec 28;6(1).
  4. Petri M. Drug monitoring in systemic lupus erythematosus. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2022 Jun;64:102225. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102225. Epub 2022 Apr 28.
  5. Goodman S. Measuring methotrexate polyglutamates. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010 Sep-Oct; 28 (5 Suppl 61): S24-S26.
  6. De Rotte MCFJ, den Boer E, de Jong PHP, et al. Methotrexate polyglutamates in erythrocytes are associated with lower disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013;0:1-7.
  7. Chevaux JB, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Sparrow MP. Optimizing thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011 Jun; 17(6): 1428-1435.
  8. Kwong EYL, Kuok MCI, Chan WK. Case Report: Multiple autoimmune syndrome (MAS)-An unusual combination. Front Pediatr. 2022 Nov 14;10:1054025.