Clinical significance of immune deposits in the skin in SLE

The lupus band test (LBT) was evaluated in 53 SLE patients. There was no significant correlation between the presence of a positive LBT and active clinical nephritis, renal histology, hypocomplementemia, or elevated anti-nDNA antibodies. In 14 patients the classes of immunoglobulins in the skin and the glomeruli were directly compared and differences were present in 11 patients. Repeat LBTs frequently became positive in patients after successful suppression of disease activity.