The anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) tests are used to help diagnose and monitor lupus, also called systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE, a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s own cells and tissues. Your doctor may order an anti-dsDNA if you have a positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test and symptoms associated with lupus, such as persistent fatigue, pain in your joints, and a red rash resembling a butterfly across the nose and cheeks. Anti-dsDNA tests are also periodically used to assess disease activity in people who have already been diagnosed with lupus.