A 33-year-old female presents with eyes that have been red and irritated for the past month.Discharge from the eyes is not apparent.She also has a recurrent low-grade fever and a rash on her chest and legs.Her joints have been achy for the past few months,and her mouth has been so dry it is often difficult to swallow food.Antinuclear antibody testing is performed,and a speckled pattern is observed on HEp-2 cells.Which follow-up test result would you expect for this patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's clinical presentation suggests a possible diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the speckled pattern observed on HEp-2 cells indicates the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA). ANA testing alone is not specific to SLE, but the presence of anti-SS-A or anti-SS-B antibodies would support a diagnosis of SLE with associated Sjogren's syndrome. ANCA testing is not typically associated with SLE. Rheumatoid factor may be elevated in some patients with SLE, but is not a definitive diagnostic marker. Antibodies to dsDNA are more specific for SLE, but are not always present in all patients with the disease.

A 33-Year-Old Female Presents with Eyes That Have Been Red