Can the ANA pattern change?

[Piscesdreamer]

Hello everyone,

My ANA pattern has always been homogeneous. Last week's test came back as cytoplasmic.

Can the pattern of our ANA change?

Thank you,

Irene ♡

[GinaD]

Sounds like a question for a rheumatologist. I think that, yes, ANA profiles can change. But... hey! I'm an English major.

[Piscesdreamer in reply to GinaD]

Lol! You are an Engliah major but I am sure that you are working on your minor degree in medicine from Google University like the rest of us!Yes, I will be speaking with my rhuemetologist about this. Her nurse called and told me I was "in remission" and I asked her to speak with the doctor about my ANA pattern changing.

[Piscesdreamer]

Someone answered me in one of the Lupus groups here on Health Unlocked:

“…Multiplex determination of ANA and cytoplasmic antibodies according to ICAP

The international consensus on standardized nomenclature of human epithelial cell (HEp-2 cell) patterns in indirect immunofluorescence (ICAP, anapatterns.org) defines fifteen nuclear patterns, nine cytoplasmic patterns and five mitotic patterns which are relevant for the diagnosis of various autoimmune diseases.

Furthermore, the consensus stipulates that autoantibodies detected by indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells should be confirmed by additional monospecific tests. Two new immunoblots have been developed for multiparametric autoantibody characterization. The EUROLINE ANA Profile 23 provides simultaneous confirmation of 23 autoantibodies that give rise to the nuclear patterns defined by ICAP. The EUROLINE Cytoplasm Profile allows detection of 10 autoantibodies against cytoplasmic and mitochondrial antigens, some of which are not easily recognized in the HEp-2 screening…”

Try accessing this paper

euroimmun.ch/fileadmin/euro...

[MaryF Administrator]

I am sure patterns can change over time, rather like antibodies coming and going, so, I am now off to read that paper underneath. My own result is nearly always 'speckled'. MaryF