The lupus band test: A review of the sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of lupus erythematosus.

Background: The lupus band test (LBT) is a direct immunofluorescence (DIF) technique which shows a band of localised immunoglobulins at the dermo-epidermal junction in lesional, non-sun-exposed skin of patients with both systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE), and in perilesional skin of patients with systemic LE. However, low sensitivity and poor concordance between histological and clinical diagnoses warrant a review of the application of the LBT in the diagnosis of LE.

Objectives: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the LBT in diagnosing LE following clinico-pathological correlation (CPC).