SLE Screening Profile Test

SLE or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, which is simply known as Lupus is a condition in which the body mistakenly attacks the healthy tissues of the body. This can lead to swelling, inflammation, joint pain, fever, or lupus rash. The disease leads to your hampers your body’s defence mechanism and makes it work incorrectly. When you have Lupus, your body does not only target the bacterias and viruses, it also destroys the healthy and good cell. Your doctor will decide to diagnose you after analysing your symptoms. To diagnose, your doctor will run an ALA (antinuclear antibody) test to screen Lupus. The test measures the number of antibodies in your blood that is working against you.

If there are any special preparations required for the test, your doctor will let you know about them. You only have to make sure that you have gathered all the information from your doctor and are well aware of the process and the medications. Also, be sure to tell all the signs and symptoms you are facing to your doctor. Apart from this, make sure to wear short-sleeved T-shirt or Shirt to make it convenient. You can also wear sleeved shirts that roll up easily.

The test results are usually available in a few days’ time. The antinuclear antibody test checks the number of antibodies present in your blood that are working against you and your healthy cells. If the number of antibodies is high, the result comes out as positive. A positive test result may mean any of the several diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, or Raynaud’s Syndrome amongst others.

For the test, your doctor or lab technician will place a plastic band on your upper arm; this is done to fill up the vein with blood and swell up. Then, he or she will clean the area with an antiseptic and put a needle. He will then draw a blood and keep it in a vial or tube. The plastic band and needle are removed and a bandage is applied to the area to stop the bleeding. The whole process usually takes a few minutes. The collected blood is then sent to the lab for analysis.