Step I What is the difference between nonspecific SLE and SLE?
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It's talking about whether the test is specific or not. There's no such thing as "specific SLE".
ANA is sensitive (pretty much everybody with SLE is going to have ANA antibodies), but is relatively non-specific (positive in lots of autoimmune disorders).
On the other hand, anti-dsDNA/anti-Sm will be less sensitive, but if the patient has them, they DEFINITELY have SLE (i.e. they are specific to SLE).
A sensitive test is positive when the patient has the disease (but with lots of false positives), while a specific test is negative when the patient is healthy (but with lots of false negatives).
It is not saying that it is a different type of lupus.. it is saying that ANA is not a specific test for SLE. This is the problem with many of the autoantibodies, though they may be sensitive.. they are not always specific.
Take RA for example, just because someone has a high rheumatoid factor titer does not mean they have RA (it is not specific).
Take RA for example, just because someone has a high rheumatoid factor titer does not mean they have RA (it is not specific).
