Guest guest Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 http://www.ichelp.com/TreatmentAndSelfHelp/ICAndDiet.html http://www.itzarion.com/ http://www.remedyfind.com/hc-Fibromyalgia.asp http://www.uklupus.co.uk/lupdat.html ANA test results explained in plain English ANA (anti-nuclear antibodies) tests .. confusing .. aren't they? Let me try to explain the process so it is easier to understand. When the lab tests your blood sample for ANA cells, they start by taking a couple of droplets of blood and dilute them with another liquid, usually alcohol. A result of 1:20 reads 1 to 20 .. or 1 drop of blood to 20 drops of alcohol. If they see ANA cells, then they dilute it again ... doubling the amount of alcohol each time.. then they read the results again .. and if they see more cells, then they dilute it again .. and again .. and again .. until they see a minuscule amount to no more cells. So .. 1:20 is usually where they start (remember to read it as 1 to 20) For some reason only known to the phlebotomists (smiles .. the vampires who draw our blood), on the higher readings such as 1:160 they will leave off the zero. Not always, but sometimes. So a reading of 1:16 is really 1:160 .. (1 to 160 = 1 drop of blood to 160 drops of alcohol). There were so many cells in your blood that it took a whole lot more alcohol to dilute the sample enough where no cells showed up. The cells that are " captured " are also put on a slide and stained with a special concoction of antigens. After the cells have been stained, they are washed and are then viewed under a fluorescent lighted microscope. The cells will glow in different stain patterns. The patterns have been divided into four to six groups (depending on the testing facility) and determine what kind of disease correlates to each pattern. Example: a reading of 1:160 with a Homogeneous pattern is almost a definite diagnosis of SLE (lupus). From a low reading to a high reading: 1:20 = negative 1:40 = very low positive 1:80 = low positive 1:160 = medium positive 1:320 = high positive 1:640 = very high positive I hope this helped you some. Anti-Nuclear Antibody Test: What Does it Mean? Getting a diagnosis can take weeks, or even years. It's like a Polaroid photograph that takes time to develop. The clinical history is most important. That's why it's so important that your doctor is a rheumatologist familiar with treating lupus. And it's important that you keep track of your symptoms, so you can tell the doctor what has been going on. Unlike some other conditions that are easily diagnosed with a single lab test, with lupus, it's not so easy. This is no surprise, because many things are not easy with lupus! One lab test will not be enough because of the systemic nature of lupus. Systemic Lupus Erythmatosis (SLE) can affect so many systems, or parts of the body. If you ever feel like all of your parts have been under the microscope, that's why! The auto-antibody blood tests are the most helpful for diagnosing lupus. That's because, as an autoimmune disease, lupus causes the body to attack itself. The test that causes the most concern and from my mail, the most frustration, is the Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. The ANA test is important because it shows the body is acting against the nucleus of the cell, where the commands are sent out. The majority of persons with lupus will have a positive ANA test. However, lupus is not the only condition that will result in a positive ANA. Some medications, infections, and other diseases also can come out positive. A positive ANA is just one piece of the diagnosis puzzle. Other auto antibody tests are more specific to lupus. However, not all persons with lupus test positive for them. Some examples are: anti-DNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-Ro (SSA), and anti-La (SSB). Your doctor may order these additional tests to try to make a diagnosis. Now, let's get to the nitty gritty. What's all this talk about titers? Here's a Q & A session between doctor and patient on this topic. Q1. My question is " What is considered a high ANA titer for lupus? My blood work will say 'Titers of 1:160 and greater should be considered highly suggestive of connective tissue disease'. But my ANA's sometimes are l:l60 and l:40 and then last time it was less than l:40. A1. ANA reports include a titer (number) and a pattern. The titer tells us how many times the technician had to dilute plasma from the patient's blood to get a sample free of the anti-nuclear antibodies. Thus, a titer of 1:640 shows a greater concentration of anti-nuclear antibodies than a titer of 1:320 or 1:160. ANA titers go up and down during the course of the disease, and a high or low titer does not necessarily mean the disease is more or less active. A titer above 1:80 is usually considered positive. However, some laboratories may interpret different titer levels as positive, so one cannot compare titers from different laboratories. Q2. My rheumatologist doesn't help much because he goes a lot by whether my sed or sedimentation, rate is elevated and other factors. I always have ANA titers in speckled pattern - do not know what that is either? A2. The pattern of the ANA test can sometimes be helpful in determining which autoimmune disease is present and which treatment program is appropriate. The speckled pattern is found in SLE and other connective tissue diseases, while the peripheral or rim pattern is found almost exclusively in SLE. Because the ANA is positive in so many conditions, the results of the ANA test have to be interpreted in light of the patient's medical history, as well as his or her clinical symptoms. Thus a positive ANA alone is NEVER enough to diagnose lupus. On the other hand, a negative ANA argues against lupus, but does not rule the disease out completely. From- Laboratory Tests Used in the Diagnosis of Lupus Reichlin, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Chief, Immunology Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK Published by the Lupus Foundation of America. Remember the big picture of the process of diagnosing Lupus. Diagnostic tools include: · Medical history · Complete physical examination · Laboratory tests: · Complete blood count · Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - an elevated ESR indicates inflammation in the body · Urinalysis · Blood chemistries · Complement levels - often low in people with lupus, especially during a flare · Antinuclear antibody test (ANA) - positive in most lupus patients, but a positive ANA test can have other causes · Other auto antibody tests (anti-DNA, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-Ro [sSA], anti- La [sSB]): One or more of these tests may be positive in some people with lupus · Syphilis test - may be falsely positive in people with lupus · Skin or kidney biopsy Getting a diagnosis of lupus can be a pain-staking process. However, sometimes isn't it just better to know? Symptoms are managed for many with anti-inflammatory medications, and drugs to dampen down the immune system, like Plaquenil. Your doctor may want a definite diagnosis before proceeding with the treatment. Lupus is no longer a death sentence. Most people with lupus will live a normal lifespan. Shop around this site for more information on living better with lupus. Hi , sorry I haven’t written and welcomed you before now. I have been busy. My name is Cheryl. I am 57 and have had lupus since a teen. I now have lupus, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, arthritis, interstitial cystitis, TMJ dysfunction, degenerative disk disease, chronic hives, IBS, cognitive dysfunction (lupus), and depression. I hope this info helps you and maybe some others too. Welcome to the group. Cheryl in CA From: healthinfo4me Sent: Friday, June 18, 2004 11:37 PM To: LUPIES Subject: Joint pain & autoimmunity...please help!!! Hello Everyone! My name is , a 26 year old female & I'm new to the group. I'm writing this because I'm hurting, afraid, need help, and not sure what to do. I have all kinds of autoimmune symptoms, but doctors say I don't fall into a " nice neat category " and can't diagnose me. Right now I'm having so much pain in my hands (mostly the tops of them), feet, knees, elbow, and jaw. It feels like they're sprained & achy. This has been going on for a couple months. What I do know is that I do have Hashimotos & my blood test for celiac came back positive. Had chronic hives for 5 years. Had inflammation in so many different parts of my body. Vulvodynia, intersticial cystitis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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