A variety of blood tests are used to help diagnose lupus but there is no single marker. Examination of blood cells (red, white, platelets) is usually performed. Lupus patients may be anemic, have low white counts, or be low on platelets. A metabolic panel will be done to rule out other diseases or conditions that have symptoms similar to lupus. Sedimentation rate, CRP and ferratin tests will reveal inflammation inside the body. FANA ( fluoresecnt antinuclear antibody), anti double stranded DNA. anti Smith, LE prep, and other autoantibody screenings may be performed. Tests for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome may also be performed. There is no definitive test.
10 million Americans have a positive ANA, but only about 1.5 million have lupus. Of the 1.5 million people with lupus 95-98% will have a negative ANA. The other tests present the same problems. If a person has a positive antiSmith then they do have lupus. But a large percentage of lupus patients do not have this antibody. All in all, there are 118 autoantibodies that may or may not be present.
The most common tube color used for lupus testing is a red-top tube, which contains no anticoagulant. This allows for the blood to clot before testing. Additionally, a lavender-top tube containing EDTA anticoagulant may also be used for specific lupus tests.
A lavender or EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) tube is used for the LE (Lupus Erythematosus) cell test. This anticoagulant helps preserve the sample for testing.
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A lavender-top tube is typically used for a complete blood count (CBC) test. This tube contains an anticoagulant called ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to prevent blood clotting and preserve the integrity of the blood sample for the test.
A lavender-top tube (EDTA tube) is commonly used for collecting blood samples for a paternity test. The EDTA in the tube helps preserve the DNA in the blood sample for accurate testing.
The tube color typically used for a prothrombin time (PT) blood test is a light blue-top tube containing sodium citrate as an anticoagulant.
A laboratory test where venous blood is clotted in a test tube is called a serum clotting test. Once the blood sample clots, it is centrifuged to separate the liquid portion (serum) from the clot, which can then be used for various diagnostic tests.
A purple top tube is typically used for an EDTA blood test, which is used for testing whole blood for hematology studies. It is commonly used for complete blood counts (CBC) and blood cell indices.
The color tube you use when drawing blood for a lab test depends on the type of test you are running. For a Na blood test you would use a red tiger strip tube.
The color of tube commonly used for ADH blood test is a royal blue top tube. This type of tube is specially designed to prevent contamination of the sample and preserve the integrity of the hormones being measured.
A lavender or purple-top tube is commonly used for a glycohemoglobin test. This tube contains the anticoagulant EDTA, which helps preserve the blood sample.
For a blood chemistry test, commonly a lavender-top (EDTA) vacutainer tube is used. These tubes are used to collect whole blood samples for testing electrolytes, metabolites, and other chemical components in the blood.