# Is there a generic test to screen for autoimmune disorders **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-test-to-screen-for-autoimmune-disorders/737226 "2015-11-10T21:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-test-to-screen-for-autoimmune-disorders/737226/1 "2015-11-10T21:35:44Z")
Since there are 100+ autoimmune diseases, is there any kind of screening test that a Dr can perform that will say ‘yeah there might be an autoimmune disease here, lets investigate further’? If so, what is that called? I’m under the impression, perhaps wrongly, that most tests are for individual autoimmune disorders and not for the entire spectrum. Is there a broad spectrum autoimmune test, and if positive then they start testing for individual diseases based on symptoms? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-test-to-screen-for-autoimmune-disorders/737226/2 "2015-11-11T21:20:45Z")
What about an ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), CRP or ANA test? Is a general test for inflammation considered a marker for a potential auto immune disorder? If a Dr suspects an autoimmune disorder, is there a test that points to that, which can then be narrowed down to an individual disorder? if so, how does that work? Is there a single test that’ll mean you likely have an autoimmune disorder? If so, then what? Are there other tests which are somewhat general or are all the tests after that only for individual diseases? If so, how do those work? Do they test for antibodies, or do they just go based on symptoms? ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-test-to-screen-for-autoimmune-disorders/737226/3 "2015-11-12T15:08:21Z")
From [this site](http://www.healthline.com/health/autoimmune-disorders#Diagnosis5) > [@](#): > > The following tests are used to diagnose an autoimmune disease: > [ul] > [li]autoantibody tests: any of several tests that look for specific antibodies to your own tissues[/li][li]antinuclear antibody tests: a type of autoantibody test that looks for antinuclear antibodies, which attack the nuclei of cells in your body[/li][li]complete blood count: measures the numbers of red and white cells in your blood; when your immune system is actively fighting something, these numbers will vary from the normal[/li][li]C-reactive protein (CRP): elevated CRP is an indication of inflammation throughout your body[/li][li]erythrocyte sedimentation rate: this test indirectly measures how much inflammation is in your body[/li][/ul] See also: [Diagnostic Testing and Interpretation of Tests for Autoimmunity](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2832720/) J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Feb; 125(2 Suppl 2): S238–S247. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-test-to-screen-for-autoimmune-disorders/737226/4 "2015-11-12T15:40:51Z")
Short simple answer is no. In the absence of a clinical picture that already strongly suggests a specific autoimmune disease the vast vast vast majority of positive tests that some think of as screening for autoimmune disease (as a broad group, rather than say TSH for hypothyroidism, or fasting glucose for diabetes) will be false positives generally then resulting in expensive and even sometime invasive needless evaluations which at best delay dealing with actual issues that need to be dealt with. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-test-to-screen-for-autoimmune-disorders/737226/5 "2015-11-12T16:20:44Z")
My rheumatologist did a broad range of tests for weird joint inflammation and pain. It took 9 vials of blood. I’d hate to think how much blood would be needed for testing for all autoimmune disorders!