One 7.5 mL serum separator tube (SST). Also acceptable: One 5 mL red top tube.
Handling:
Allow to clot, centrifuge and immediately separate serum into a plastic vial. Refrigerate. Freeze ≤ -20° C if specimen cannot be tested within 7 days. Allow no more than three freeze/thaw cycles.
Stability:
8 hour ambient or 7 days refrigerated. Freeze ≤ -20° C for longer storage.
Standard Volume:
1 mL serum.
Minimum Volume:
0.5 mL serum.
Transport:
Refrigerated, or frozen on dry ice.
Comments:
Double Stranded DNA Antibodies (>30 IU/mL) are found in 50-60% of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), 20-30% in Sjogren’s Syndrome, 20-25% in mixed connective tissue diseases, and <5% in progressive systemic sclerosis. High antibody values to native double stranded DNA are highly specific for SLE.
Rejection Criteria:
Plasma; gross hemolysis; lipemia; contaminated specimen; specimen received in laboratory ambient more than 8 hours, or refrigerated more than 7 hours, of collection; specimen frozen/thawed more than three times.