In 11 patients who presented with apparently idiopathic glomerular disease the antinuclear factor (ANF) was absent initially but was eventually detected during observation extending over 6 years. In 4 patients a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has now been made and the disease treated. Of the remaining 7, 2 had conditions known to be associated with a positive ANF, and in 4, drug therapy induced the ANF. Clinical features, complement studies and measurement of anti-DNA antibody were of value in distinguishing those patients with SLE from the others.
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Cairns et al. (1979) studied this question.
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