Rheumatology Profile 4 is a wide blood panel used to investigate suspected systemic lupus, combining a full blood count and general inflammation markers with a series of specific autoantibodies. It suits anyone with symptoms such as joint pain, unexplained rashes or persistent fatigue where lupus or a related autoimmune condition is a possibility. The panel costs £415, plus a £50 blood-draw fee, with results back within 2 days. You can walk in or book online at 117a Harley Street, seven days a week, with no GP referral needed.
This panel is usually requested when a doctor suspects lupus or a related autoimmune condition, often because of symptoms such as joint pain and swelling, unexplained rashes, persistent fatigue, sensitivity to sunlight, or unexplained fevers.
It is also used to help distinguish lupus from other causes of joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, since the panel combines general inflammation markers with several more specific antibodies.
People already diagnosed with lupus or a related condition sometimes repeat parts of this panel to help their specialist judge how active the disease currently is, alongside their symptoms.
No special preparation is needed for this profile, and most people do not need to fast beforehand. Follow any specific instruction from your doctor, and let the phlebotomist know if you are taking any medication that affects your immune system.
A positive Anti-Nuclear Antibody result is common and does not on its own mean you have lupus. It's a starting point that a clinician narrows down using the more specific antibodies in this panel, such as Anti-dsDNA and the ENA group, alongside your symptoms.
Raised inflammation markers such as ESR or CRP simply show that something is triggering inflammation somewhere in the body, and need your symptoms and history to make sense of them. Because this panel involves multiple antibodies with overlapping patterns across different autoimmune conditions, it should be interpreted by a doctor, ideally a rheumatologist, rather than read in isolation.
Your laboratory report will show the reference range for each marker. Book a doctor's appointment to discuss your results, particularly if you have ongoing joint, skin or fatigue symptoms.
If you would like a doctor to request the right tests for your symptoms or talk the report through, book a private GP consultation at Medical Express Clinic.
Written by Mr Stephen Lingam. Reviewed by Dr Mohammad Bakhtiar (GMC 4694470) on 24/09/2026.
No. A positive ANA is common and can occur in healthy people or in several other conditions, so it needs to be interpreted alongside the more specific antibodies in this panel and your symptoms by a doctor.
Lupus and related autoimmune conditions can look similar to each other, so testing several antibodies together helps a specialist narrow down which condition, if any, best fits your pattern of results.
Results are typically back within 2 days, though because of the range of antibodies involved, your doctor may want time to review them properly with you rather than rushing through them alone.
Yes, this is recommended. A rheumatologist or your GP is best placed to weigh the pattern of antibodies against your symptoms and history.