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Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) Test
Also known as: Fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA)
Related tests: Anti-dsDNA antibodies, anti-Sm antibodies, Sjögren's syndrome antigen (SSA, SSB); Scl-70 antibodies; anti-centromere antibodies; anti-histone antibodies; anti-RNP antibodies
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Common Questions
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1. Why is it called "anti-nuclear" antibody?
2. If I have a negative ANA test, will my doctor order any other antibody tests?
3. My doctor told me my ANA test is positive but isn't sure if I have lupus. How can this be?
4. Is SLE the same thing as lupus?
1. Why is it called "anti-nuclear" antibody?
ANA are antibodies found in patients with certain autoimmune diseases. ANAs are directed against certain components found in the centre of the cells (called the nucleus), of your body.
2. If I have a negative ANA test, will my doctor order any other antibody tests?
Tests for specific antibodies (called 'ANA subsets') are almost never positive in patients who get a negative ANA result. These tests generally should not be requested in patients with negative ANA test results.
3. My doctor told me my ANA test is positive but isn't sure if I have lupus. How can this be?
The body’s immune system normally produces antibodies that are designed to fight off diseases and infections. In an autoimmune disease, something goes wrong with this system and the person’s body begins producing antibodies that attack their own tissues. Antinuclear antibodies are antibodies that attack the cell nucleus (the central controlling part of the cell). The ANA test looks at the amount of antinuclear antibodies in a person’s blood. A positive result means that you have a higher than "normal" concentration of these antibodies and may be related to lupus or another disease. Alternatively you may be perfectly healthy and you may simply have a higher than normal concentration of these antibodies. Even among people with lupus, these results can vary widely – one person might have no symptoms at a certain level of ANA, while another can be extremely ill at the same level. Your doctor may need to compare your test results as well as the severity of your symptoms over a period of time in order to make a proper diagnosis. This additional time may also allow your doctor the opportunity to eliminate other possible causes for your symptoms.
4. Is SLE the same thing as lupus?
There are actually three forms of lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the form that is commonly called ‘lupus’. ‘Systemic’ means that it can attack almost any organ in your body, and this is the form with the most severe effects. Discoid lupus is always limited to skin and the produces a rash on the face, neck, or scalp. Some drugs can bring on the symptoms of SLE, and this condition is called drug-induced lupus. The symptoms usually fade when the drug is stopped. This form of lupus happens only to an extremely small percentage of patients taking such drugs.
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This page was last modified on
April 16, 2004.
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