Test for Antinuclear Antibodies

What is ANA?

ANA (antinuclear antibodies) is a term used to describe a diverse group of antibodies whose target is the nuclear antigen and cytoplasm of the cell. Thus, ANA is the specific autoantibodies produced by the body against one or more components of the patient’s own cell nucleus.
ANA does not distinguish between foreign antigens and body tissue. So they attack the body’s cells causing signs and symptoms such as organ tissue inflammation, joint and muscle pain, fatigue … Prolonged autoimmune processes will cause a number of immune diseases. The most common is a systemic immune disorder (SLE) that causes lupus erythematosus, the most severe form of lupus. ANA has been detected in the serum of patients with autoimmune diseases.

Who should be tested for antinuclear antibodies ANA

The ANA test is indicated when a person has symptoms that could be caused by an autoimmune disorder. Signs and symptoms of an autoimmune disorder are diverse and can involve several different areas of the body. Symptoms can include:

•     Persistent fever and fatigue
•     Muscle pain
•     Swollen joints
•     Skin rash
•     Sensitive to ultraviolet light
•     Raynaud’s phenomenon
•     Kidney damage (with proteinuria)
•     Neurological symptoms such as seizures, depression, psychosis
•     Hemolytic anemia or low white blood cell count (leukopenia)

Antinuclear antibody testing is of particular importance for the diagnosis and monitoring of connective tissue disease, especially systemic lupus erythematosus.

How to get the specimens

The test is performed on plasma (not necessarily requiring the patient to fast before taking blood).

What the test results mean

Normal value: NEGATIVE

Diagnosis of autoimmune diseases is often based on the specific signs and symptoms and results of autoantibody tests. ANA test results aid in diagnosing autoimmune disorders. Studies have shown that one of the autoantibodies is usually detected in people with a specific autoimmune disorder, and in people without the disease is often undetected or undetected.

Patterns of positive and negative results obtained with the ANA assay are evaluated in conjunction with a person’s clinical findings. If someone has symptoms that indicate a specific autoimmune disorder and the corresponding autoantibodies are positive, then that person is likely to develop the disease.

If a person has symptoms but autoantibodies are not present, it could be that they haven’t developed autoantibodies, or it could mean that the person’s symptoms are of another cause.

Test for anti-nuclear antibodies: POSITIVE.

The most common causes are:

• Bacterial endocarditis
• Chronic autoimmune hepatitis
• Cirrhosis Connective tissue disease
• Dermatitis Discoid lupus erythematosus
• Lupus hepatitis – Drug-induced lupus
• Infectious mononucleosis Lyme disease
• Cancer diseases, especially lymphoma
• Mixed interstitial disease or sharp syndrome
• General myasthenia gravis
• Polymyositis Raynaud’s Assembly
• Rheumatoid arthritis – Scleroderma
• Sojegren’s syndrome
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Tuberculosis.

Factors that alter test results

• Broken red blood cells in the specimen may alter the test results
•  Drugs that may cause a POSSIBLE POSITIVE result (drug-induced lupus syndrome): acetazolamid, carbioda, chlorothiazide, chlopropamide, clofibrate, sympathomimetic beeta blockers, ethoxuximide, gold salt, D-penicillamin, griseofulvin, hydralazin, isoniazid , lithium, methyldopa, oral contraceptive, penicillin, phenylbutazone, phenyltoin, primidone, procainamide, propylthiouracil, quinidine, reserpin, streptomycin, sulfonamide, tetracyclin, thiazide diuretics.
• Medicines that may cause SEXUALLY: Steroid results