Top 10 facts about the world. Hand atrophy is a condition that causes muscles of the hand deteriorate and wither away. Also called muscle wasting, hand atrophy leads the muscles to begin to lose their bulk and strength. This in turn may cause a general decrease in the ability of the hand to move.
Why the test is used: Between 75% and 90% of people with lupus have a positive anti-dsDNA test. Also, the test is very specific for lupus. Therefore, a positive test can be useful in confirming a diagnosis. For many people, the titer, or level, of the antibodies rises as the disease becomes more active.
These tests can be used as much to rule out lupus as to indicate the disease. Since lupus is a systemic (body-wide) disease, doctors also look for symptoms in more than one of the bodyâs systems -- such as the kidneys and the skin. Doctors are tasked with interpreting test results, then correlating them with symptoms and other test results.