How do you approach monitoring of patients found to have a positive anti-dsDNA antibody without other clinical evidence of SLE?  

Autoantibodies are typically present for several years before the diagnosis of SLE. The study by Arbuckle et. al of the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository showed that ANA was present  3.4 years, and anti-DsDNA antibodies were present 2.2 years before the diagnosis of SLE. These results...