The DNA antibody test is a test that is conducted for antibodies that are specifically created in the body to attack DNA. This might seem odd but it is actually a necessary process in some instances. When antibodies attack one's own cells it is called auto-immunity and this is a necessary process especially when it comes to eliminating damaged or cancerous cells. However, if the control factors like the genetic instructions in DNA that tell the immune system which cells to attack are incorrect, the immune system will attack healthy cells. This is exactly what happens in certain auto-immune disorders like Lupus, Arthritis, and diabetes. There is a test that is used to measure the amount of autoimmune antibodies in the body. Since most antibodies exist in the blood, the test is basically a blood test called the Anti-nuclear antibodies or ANA test.
High levels of Anti-nuclear antibodies in serum are a sign that there is a possibility of auto-immune disease that could or has already struck. This is an invaluable test that can be used to identify auto-immune diseases in the first place. With some diseases like lupus, there can be a lot of confusion on the exact nature of the disease and because of this, the test for double stranded DNA antibody, is apt for definitive diagnosis
Like all antibody tests, these tests are conducted either by using immuno-fluorescence or by the simpler ELISA test. Though the former is a better test for antibodies, the ELISA test is more preferred because of the low cost of the latter. The test only requires a sample of blood.
There is no preparation that is required for this test as the presence of antibodies in the blood is something that is ubiquitous and cannot really be suppressed by drugs. Auto-immune diseases are a major killer of the human race, and many of these diseases cause the slow degradation of the body over a course of time. In many cases, entire organs can be destroyed and one auto-immune disease, diabetes, is one of the leading killers of human beings in the last and current centuries. Understanding the DNA mechanisms of the disease are crucial in correcting the problem and this has already been seen in some autoimmune diseases where DNA has been experimentally corrected for specific flaws that lead to auto-immune disease.